TV's Mr. Wizard Dies at Age 89

Don Herbert, known and loved by science-minded children as the television personality, "Mr. Wizard" has died at the age of 89, after battling bone cancer.

Herbert was born in 1917 in Waconia, Minnesota. He served as an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, and graduated from LaCrosse State Teachers College in 1940.

Herbert's son in law Tom Nikosey told CNN that he died at his suburban Bell Canyon home.

The character "Mr. Wizard" first appeared on the show "Watch Mr. Wizard," which ran from 1951-1964. The show was 30 minutes, and would always feature a neighborhood boy or girl coming to visit. Mr. Wizard and the child would conduct science experiments that seemed impossible at first glance, but by the end of the show, the viewer would know how to recreate it at home.

He received a Peabody award for this show in 1954.

After the last episode of "Mr. Wizard's World," the series was briefly resurrected on Canada's CBC Television, and was simply titled "Mr. Wizard." The Canadian series lasted 26 episodes between September of 1971 and September of 1972.

The show "Mr. Wizard's World," which was broadcast on Nickelodeon between 1983 and 1990, was modeled after "Watch Mr. Wizard". On this show, Herbert turned the television into a classroom, demonstrating experiments using household items.

Steve Jacobs, who worked with Herbert on "Mr. Wizard's World," told CNN, "He really taught kids how to use the thinking skills of a scientist." Jacobs was the "science sidekick" to Mr. Wizard on this show, which was broadcast on Nickelodeon from 1983-1990. Episodes of this show were syndicated on The Science Channel in 2005.

Jacobs also said that Herbert would encourage children to duplicate experiments at home. When he would reach for beakers and flasks, Herbert would remind him that the experiment could be performed with regular household tools.

As quoted in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer article, Herbert would tell Jacobs, "'You could use a mayonnaise jar for that. He tried to bust the image of scientists and that science wasn't just for special people and places."

Mr. Wizard's World also featured a segment called "Ask Mr. Wizard," in which Mr. Wizard would answer questions mailed in by viewers.

He also had the honor of being one of the first guests on Late Night with David Letterman in 1982.

Herbert is survived by six children and stepchildren and by his second wife, Norma. A private funeral service will be held.

Sources:

Seattle PI, TV's 'Mr. Wizard' Don Herbert dies at 89, http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/1401AP_Obit_Herbert.html

Associated Press, Television's 'Mr. Wizard' dies at 89, http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/12/obit.mr.wizard.ap/index.html