Herb Hake
Encyclopedia
Herb Hake was an American
author
, cartoonist
, radio
, and television personality; associated with the University of Northern Iowa
. He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees.
. His father was a painting contractor and a school board member who had some drawing skills. He nurtured Herb's strong interest in art. In the late 1920s, Herb studied at Central Wesleyan College
in Missouri
. He worked at various occupations including layout work for World Color Printing in St. Louis
, and writing movie reviews
for the St. Louis Times.
After a year in St. Louis, he returned to his home county and took a teaching certification examination and taught in a rural school for a year. He then did graduate work at the Northwestern University
in Illinois and joined the faculty at Central Wesleyan until it closed. He then went to graduate school at the University of Missouri
and later Iowa State Teachers College, in Cedar Falls, Iowa
where he earned his master's degree in scenic design in 1933. The summer of 1936, he landed a job there in the theater department. From 1938 to 1942 he served as technical director
, scenic designer and instructor of speech courses. He and one other teacher ran the drama department.
In 1942, education was cut short for military service; enrolment in college fell drastically. The drama department was cut back by one, and Hake was asked to take over the radio business at the college or lose his job altogether. With very little experience or equipment, and a technical manual in hand, he started his new career. By the late 1950s he was learning television. During Hake's 30 years at the school, now the University of Northern Iowa
, the radio and television facilities grew to include an FM radio station, a student-operated campus radio station, open and closed-circuit television programs and thousands of dollars worth of equipment. He retired in 1972 and was inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Hall of Fame. And in his honour, the call letters of one of the university's radio stations was changed to KHKE
.
Hake directed and hosted several radio and TV programs
, Story Hour, Landmarks in Iowa History and History with Herb Hake. He was a 'chalk talker', telling the story while drawing on the chalk board. He wrote articles and books on stagecraft, and authored the Cartoon History of Iowa (1969); Bicentennial Outlines of Cedar Falls,a coloring book; and 101 Stories of Cedar Falls, which is a collection of his Pioneers, Prophets and Professors column which appeared in the Record, the Cedar Falls newspaper, in the early 1970s. Profits from this book aided the Cedar Falls Historical Society in its drive to turn the old ice house into a museum. Hake was president of the society from 1972 to 1974 and served on its board as well as that of the State Historical Society of Iowa
.
In retirement Hake interviewed long-time residents of Cedar Falls, and recorded their thoughts on tape, to be kept for reference at the society. He used print
, chalk
, electronic journalism and personal appearances to effectively educate the public to appreciate its heritage and his contributions to the Cedar Falls Historical Society remain to be treasured.
Herbert V. Hake married his wife Monabell on , in Fayette, Missouri
. They had two daughters, Priscilla and Patricia. He died , 1980, at the age of 76, of cancer
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, and television personality; associated with the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
. He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees.
Biography
Herbert V. Hake, son of Henry and Louisa Hake, was born , in Hoyleton, IllinoisHoyleton, Illinois
Hoyleton is a village in Washington County, Illinois, United States. The population was 531 at the 2010 census. It is the home town of former Montréal Expos and San Francisco Giants left-handed pitcher Kirk Rueter.-Geography:...
. His father was a painting contractor and a school board member who had some drawing skills. He nurtured Herb's strong interest in art. In the late 1920s, Herb studied at Central Wesleyan College
Central Wesleyan College
Central Wesleyan College was a private college sponsored by the Methodist Church in Warrenton, Missouri from 1864 to 1941.-History:The college has its roots in the German and English College founded in 1854 in Quincy, Illinois, to train ministers for the German Methodist Episcopal Church...
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He worked at various occupations including layout work for World Color Printing in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and writing movie reviews
Film criticism
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
for the St. Louis Times.
After a year in St. Louis, he returned to his home county and took a teaching certification examination and taught in a rural school for a year. He then did graduate work at the Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
in Illinois and joined the faculty at Central Wesleyan until it closed. He then went to graduate school at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
and later Iowa State Teachers College, in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
where he earned his master's degree in scenic design in 1933. The summer of 1936, he landed a job there in the theater department. From 1938 to 1942 he served as technical director
Technical director
The Technical Director or Technical Manager is usually a senior technical person within a software company, film studio, theatrical company or television studio...
, scenic designer and instructor of speech courses. He and one other teacher ran the drama department.
In 1942, education was cut short for military service; enrolment in college fell drastically. The drama department was cut back by one, and Hake was asked to take over the radio business at the college or lose his job altogether. With very little experience or equipment, and a technical manual in hand, he started his new career. By the late 1950s he was learning television. During Hake's 30 years at the school, now the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
, the radio and television facilities grew to include an FM radio station, a student-operated campus radio station, open and closed-circuit television programs and thousands of dollars worth of equipment. He retired in 1972 and was inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Hall of Fame. And in his honour, the call letters of one of the university's radio stations was changed to KHKE
KHKE
KHKE is a radio station owned and operated by the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA, which broadcasts on 89.5 MHz. It is a classical station, sharing broadcast facilities with KUNI...
.
Hake directed and hosted several radio and TV programs
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, Story Hour, Landmarks in Iowa History and History with Herb Hake. He was a 'chalk talker', telling the story while drawing on the chalk board. He wrote articles and books on stagecraft, and authored the Cartoon History of Iowa (1969); Bicentennial Outlines of Cedar Falls,a coloring book; and 101 Stories of Cedar Falls, which is a collection of his Pioneers, Prophets and Professors column which appeared in the Record, the Cedar Falls newspaper, in the early 1970s. Profits from this book aided the Cedar Falls Historical Society in its drive to turn the old ice house into a museum. Hake was president of the society from 1972 to 1974 and served on its board as well as that of the State Historical Society of Iowa
State Historical Society of Iowa
The State Historical Society of Iowa , a division of the , serves as the official historical repository for the State of Iowa and also provides grants, public education, and outreach about Iowa history and archaeology. The SHSI maintains a museum, library, archives, and research center in Des...
.
In retirement Hake interviewed long-time residents of Cedar Falls, and recorded their thoughts on tape, to be kept for reference at the society. He used print
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, electronic journalism and personal appearances to effectively educate the public to appreciate its heritage and his contributions to the Cedar Falls Historical Society remain to be treasured.
Herbert V. Hake married his wife Monabell on , in Fayette, Missouri
Fayette, Missouri
Fayette is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. It is in the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. They had two daughters, Priscilla and Patricia. He died , 1980, at the age of 76, of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.