Comedian and Loyola Alum Bob Newhart Dead at 94

Bob Newhart — Loyola alumnus, legendary comedian and actor — died July 18 in Los Angeles at age 94, the Associated Press reported. Newhart graduated from Loyola with an undergraduate degree in business management in 1952 and stayed connected to the university throughout his life.

Newhart was the 1975 Sword of Loyola recipient, an honor given to “an individual who exhibits exceptional dedication and humanitarian service in fields other than medicine,” according to the Loyola Digital Special Collections.

In 2012, Loyola opened the Newhart Family Theater, a newly renovated theater in the Mundelein Center dedicated to Newhart, The Phoenix previously reported.

In recognition of Newhart’s passing, Loyola republished an interview with Newhart from the Spring 2023 issue of Loyola Magazine.

Newhart was born in Oak Park, a western suburb of Chicago. In 1959, he released his first comedy album, “The Button-Down Mind” and was signed to a contract with Warner Records, then Warner Bros. Records, according to his website.

The album, which won Newhart two Grammy Awards in 1960, launched a more than 60-year career, including seven more comedy albums, three self-titled TV series and numerous other film and television roles.

Newhart and his wife, Virginia Newhart, had four children and remained married from 1963 until her death in 2023.

Newhart’s family announced his passing in a post on Facebook. “He was deeply loved by all,” Newhart’s family wrote. “But especially his children and grandchildren.”

Featured image courtesy Alan Light/Creative Commons