Career
Born in Creston, Iowa on December 15, 1907, Hawk began his career by reading poetry on the radio in Chicago. Hawk"s mother was in part responsible for her son"s eventual rise in broadcasting. She worked with him in poetry and dramatic reading as well as oration.
Camel cigarettes sponsored several of his radio programs, including The Bob Hawk Show, a popular quiz show of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
His programs included:
Foolish Questions (1936)
Fun Quiz (1936)
Quixie Doodles (1938) for the Mutual Broadcasting System
Name Three (1939-1940) for Mutual, sponsored by Philip Morris
Take lieutenant or Leave lieutenant (1940-1941) for Columbia Broadcasting System, sponsored by Eversharp
How’m I Doin’? for Columbia Broadcasting System, sponsored by Camel
Thanks to the Yanks (1942-1945) Columbia Broadcasting System, sponsored by Camel
The Bob Hawk Show for Columbia Broadcasting System, sponsored by Camel
In 1949, The Bob Hawk Show moved to Hollywood from Chicago, then a central broadcasting hub with 22 radio stations. During its last years on the air, the program was recorded and edited down to 30 minutes.
Hawk wrote the questions for his quiz programs, and he often devised clever ones. One such trick question: "Could a baseball game end in a six-six tie without a man touching first base?" Answer: "Yes, if the game was played between two girl teams."
Hawk failed to make the move to television, and in 1952, he was quoted in Time: "Why should I beat my brains out in television when radio is paying so well?" At the time his radio show was consistently rated in the top 12 radio shows nationally.
Hawk died in Laguna Hills, California on July 4, 1989.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for radio is in the 6400 block of Hollywood Boulevard on the north side of the street".
