Bob Smith

As host of the wildly popular and influential children's program "The Howdy Doody Show," Buffalo Bob Smith became a consistent presence in the lives of millions of American children. With Howdy Doody and their friends in Doodyville, USA, he appeared on NBC for 13 seasons, broadcasting more than 2,500 live shows. In attendance each day was the Peanut Gallery, a live studio audience full of children. Buffalo Bob, so named for his hometown of Buffalo, NY, was seldom seen without his trademark fringed western suit and Howdy at his side, even in later years as they toured the country during a Howdy Doody revival. A favorite among baby boomers (or "alumni" as Smith preferred to call them), "The Howdy Doody Show" symbolized an innocent and ideal era, with the genial host as hero. Their revival, a reaction both to the tumultuous world of the late 1960s and the nostalgic longing of their vast audience, was started when a student at the University of Pennsylvania contacted Smith in 1970, inviting Smith to perform for graduate students at the school, most of which were kids he reached through television for so many years. This performance led to many more--at over 500 colleges and universities. Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody also did a stint in Germany in 1972, performing 50 shows for American troops stationed there, under the auspices of the USO.