Background
Robert Cottle was the son of Earle W. and Gladys E. (Pierce) Cottle. He grew up and attended local schools in Brockton, Massachusetts.
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Robert S. Cottle
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Career
During World World War II, Cottle was a B-17 Flying Fortress flight instructor for the United States Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base.
In the 1950s, Cottle began a career in television as a host for children"s television shows, often appearing as "Captain Bob." One of his first shows, The Nature World of Captain Bob began in Hartford, Connecticut, it was a thirty-minute Saturday morning art instruction program offering sketching techniques for wildlife subjects and set in a sea shanty. Later, in 1953, the show moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where it ran for another 14 years. In addition to hosting his own television shows in the Boston area, Cottle took over as host for the National Broadcasting Company television show The Ruff & Reddy Show in September 1962.
The show ran for two more years, at times beating Columbia Broadcasting System-television"s Captain Kangaroo in the Nielsen ratings.
Cottle appeared for the last time on national television in the 1964 Macy"s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which aired on National Broadcasting Company and Columbia Broadcasting System.
He continued to host local television shows in Boston and in Hartford, Connecticut, including the show The Magic Window, on WBZ-television
