IL SR1167

Bob Newhart, born September 5, 1929, in Oak Park, died July 18, 2024; he graduated from Loyola University in 1952 with a degree in business management and served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Newhart's comedy career launched in 1960 with his album "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," which sold over a million copies and reached number one on the charts; his follow-up album held the top two chart positions simultaneously.

He starred in two major sitcoms: "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-1978) playing psychologist Bob Hartley, and "Newhart" (1982-1989) as a Vermont innkeeper; he also appeared in films including "Catch 22" and "Elf."

Newhart received Grammy Awards in 1961 for Best New Artist and Album of the Year, an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series on "The Big Bang Theory," and the Mark Twain Prize for Humor from the Kennedy Center in 2002.

Loyola University named their theater "The Newhart Family Theatre" in his honor, and a statue of him as Bob Hartley was placed on Navy Pier in Chicago; he is survived by his four children.