By Gary Hahn,
National Comedy Center
Special to The Villager
National Comedy Center Honors & Preserves Bob Newhart’s Legacy of Laughter.
July 18, 2024 was the end of an era in comedy.
Legendary comedian Bob Newhart, master of observational humor with a distinctive delivery, died at the age of 94 leaving behind a legacy of laughs that never stopped — his presence and humor entertaining audiences for six decades.
Upon news of Newhart’s passing, Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center Executive Director, stated, “Bob Newhart’s groundbreaking work in stand-up and television – and his beloved deadpan delivery – have left an indelible mark on the art form of comedy and will be treasured by comedy fans for generations to come. The Lucy Desi Museum brought him to Jamestown to perform at the comedy festival when the museum opened in 1996 and we were honored to bring him back to Jamestown in 2014. We’re very proud to celebrate and preserve his extraordinary work at the National Comedy Center.”
The National Comedy Center – the United States’ official cultural institution and museum dedicated to presenting the vital story of comedy and preserving its heritage for future generations – features Bob Newhart’s work in many areas of the award-winning state-of-the-art museum in Jamestown, including its TV Room, which celebrates classic television comedies including Newhart’s “The Bob Newhart Show (1972-78) and “Newhart” (1982-90). The series finale for “Newhart,” in which the entire series was presented as a dream of Newhart’s character from the original “The Bob Newhart Show,” is considered one of the greatest TV finales of all time.
Bob Newhart is well represented in the Stand-Up Lounge at the National Comedy Center, and the Comedy Continuum, a massive interactive wall on which visitors can explore the connections and influences of comedians across generations and genres of comedy. Newhart also has a place in the National Comedy Center’s Hall of Moguls exhibit.
While the beloved actor and comedian may be best known for his television shows, Newhart rose to fame with his first stand-up comedy album in 1960. “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” was a departure from the popular punchline comedy of the day — relying more on storytelling than one-liners. By any standards, it was smash — the first comedy album to reach number one on the Billboard charts. It won multiple Grammy awards, including “Album of the Year” edging out the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat “King” Cole and Harry Belafonte. Newhart’s follow-up, “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back,” also hit number one on the Billboard charts.
Nominated for a total of nine Emmys throughout his career, Newhart didn’t win an individual acting Emmy until 2013. He was recognized in the outstanding guest actor category for his portrayal of Professor Proton on “The Big Bang Theory.” Newhart also gained younger fans for his role in the now classic Christmas film “Elf” in which he played Papa Elf.
In a career that was always in motion, Bob Newhart became a legend in his own time. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1993 and was honored with the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American humor in 2002.
Newhart’s 2016 memoir, “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny,” returned to the bestseller list following his death.
Bob Newhart died Thursday, July 18, in Los Angeles, just over a year after the death of his beloved wife of 60 years, Ginnie. He was 94.
Visit the National Comedy Center in Jamestown this summer to enjoy highlights from Bob Newhart’s extraordinary career.