Bob Keeshan

Bob Keeshan spent a lifetime as Captain Kangaroo, welcoming millions of children into his television family. It was a menagerie, with Mr. Moose, Dancing Bear, Miss Frog and Bunny Rabbit. And there were the inanimate objects that came to life: Grandfather Clock and the Magic Drawing Board. But there was no mistaking who the gentle father figure was: the walrus-mustachioed captain himself. Keeshan, who lived in Hartford, Vt., died Friday of a long illness at a hospital in Windsor, his family said. He was 76. "Our father, grandfather and friend was as passionate for his family as he was for America's children,'' according to a statement issued by his family, including his son and two daughters. "He was largely a private man living an often public life as an advocate for all that our nation's children deserve.'' "Captain Kangaroo'' premiered on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public television for six more. It was wildly popular among children and won six Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards. Each day, Captain Kangaroo -- with his sugar-bowl haircut and a uniform coat with big pouch pockets that inspired the character's name -- would wander through his Treasure House, chatting with his good friend Mr. Green Jeans, played by Hugh "Lumpy'' Brannum who died in 1987. On the way, he would visit with puppet animals, like Bunny Rabbit, who was scolded for eating too many carrots, and Mr. Moose, who loved to tell knock-knock jokes. Psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers, who spent three seasons on the show, called it "a wonderful service for children and parents.'' "Parents could turn on the TV with complete security that what was shown wouldn't be harmful in any way,'' Brothers said. Keeshan, born in Lynbrook, N.Y., became a page at NBC while he was in high school. He joined the Marine Corps in 1945. His first television appearance came in 1948, when he played the voiceless, horn-honking Clarabell the Clown on the "Howdy Doody Show,'' a role he created and played for five years. "Captain Kangaroo'' debuted on Oct. 3, 1955. After the PBS show ended in 1992, Keeshan continued to play the role for a time in videos and public appearances. "Bob Keeshan was a true pioneer in children's television whose legacy goes unmatched,'' CBS chairman Leslie Moonves said. "He was a great entertainer, showman and innovator, and he will always hold a special place in the history of CBS and the hearts of television viewers.'' While the show seemed like an impromptu walk through a child's ideal playground, it was smartly scripted, said Peggy Charren, founder of Action for Children's Television. "He never did anything that would disappoint you,'' Charren said. "He was a constant in lives that were not always full of constants.'' Keeshan, who moved to Vermont in 1990, also remained active as a children's advocate, writing books, lecturing and lobbying. Keeshan's wife, Jeanne, died in 1990. In 1998 he successfully lobbied for creation of the children's checkoff on the Vermont income tax form. Money raised by the checkoff goes to support numerous children's programs. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who worked with Keeshan to enact the program, called him "one of the country's most revered icons.'' Keeshan criticized today's TV programs for children as too full of violence. And he spoke wherever he went about the importance of good parenting. "Parents are the ultimate role models for children,'' he said. "Every word, movement and action has an effect. No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than the parent.'' When Fred Rogers, the gentle host of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,'' died last year, Keeshan recalled how they often spoke about the state of children's programming. "I don't think it's any secret that Fred and I were not very happy with the way children's television had gone,'' Keeshan said. As for "Barney and Friends,'' Keeshan found the popular 1990s show gentle but boring -- "what we used to call `a program in a telephone booth.''' "There's no room to stretch,'' Keeshan said in 1993. "They have to break out and get away from that and build more characters and build other aspects to the show.'' Keeshan believed children learn more in the first six years of life than at any other time and argued for day care that provides emotional, physical and intellectual development for children. "Play is the work of children. It's very serious stuff. And if it's properly structured in a developmental program, children can blossom,'' he said.