Don Herbert, who is best known as Mr. Wizard, died June 12 at the age of 89 at his home in the Bell Canyon section of Los Angeles.
A Statement from the official studios of Mr. Wizard, mrwizardstudios.com, read:
"It is with deep sadness that we regret to announce the passing of Don Herbert - the one and only 'Mr. Wizard'. Don lost his battle with cancer today, June 12, 2007, at 9 AM Pacific Daylight Time - slightly more than one month shy of his 90th birthday. He was lovingly surrounded by his family, who are at once, saddened by his passing, and relieved that he is no longer suffering."
I have to admit hearing Mr. Wizard in the news brought back some fond memories of doing science as a child. After all, I learned so much from him. I learned about centrifugal force and how make a boat out of a toothpick and soap.
He made science seem fun and exciting. He not only impacted kids, but he also transformed how teachers taught science. Teachers began doing creative, fun experiments to teach kids basic science concepts as opposed to lecturing. He transformed the world of science. I am sure many teachers and employers in the science field would not hesitate to say that Mr. Wizard impacted their career choice.
Herbert held no advanced degree but was able to captivate audiences with his experiments using household items for amazing experiments. The "Watch Mr. Wizard" programs ran on NBC from 1951 to 1965. The show received a Peabody Award in 1953 for young people's programming. According to the New York Times, more than 100,000 children were enrolled in 5,000 Mr. Wizard Science Clubs by the mid-1950s. In the 1980's, Herbert returned to TV with the show "Mr. Wizard's World" on Nickelodeon.
I remember running in from school to sit glued to the TV to watch the show on Nickelodeon as a child. It was a must-see for me. Mr. Wizard's influence will live on in me as well as millions of others. I strive to expose my kids to the fun parts of science.
Please feel free to leave your fondest memories of Mr. Wizard as well. I would love to hear them.
