Bob Keeshan
Captain Kangaroo
We can't leave the great Captain Kangaroo out of this. This historic character was created by Bob Keeshan himself and was picked up by CBS which was aired in October, 1955 and ran weekdays for thirty years. Keeshan produced and directed the show. The show immediately captured the hearts of the children and drew them to the TV screen more than any children's show in history. The awards are too numerous to mention here.
Bob Keeshan's approach captivated the youth of America. His Captain Kangaroo character presented literature, science and music better than anyone. Children learned easily as his information and knowledge became a source of delight to them.
On March 11, 1989, I entered the Convention Center in downtown St. Louis and never saw so many children in one place in my life. It was near impossible to attempt to walk through that. The lines for tickets snaked around and out the door. Not enough time to get a ticket and meet with the Captain. I went to the show office and explained my problem to Marilynn Mitchell. "Give me the Tablecloth and I'll see if I can get him to sign it in his dressing room upstairs. Nervously I waited but was relieved when I saw her walking in my direction holding up the cloth and smiling. This quickly reminded me of the Johnny Carson signing at his show at NBC Studios in Burbank two years earlier. Not easy to do and certainly not easy on the nerves. Marilyn showed me the nice signature Captain Kangaroo had signed.
On May 7, 1993 Captain Kangaroo appeared again at the Convention Center. This time I made arrangements in advance and was able to meet with him on stage for a picture with him. I met Bob Keeshan a few years later at a book signing in Clayton, Missouri and took another picture with him. He wore a regular sports jacket. Good picture but I like the one in his red jacket with the big pockets and white trim. A great addition to the collection.