Herb Hake

Herb Hake was an artist, writer, radio pioneer, television broadcaster and professor whose creativity and boldness left an undeniable mark on the Panther community and an impact on students that continues today. His time working for the Iowa State Teachers College began in 1938. He held numerous roles in the Theater Department, including technical director and scenic designer, and he taught speech courses. 

But most importantly, Hake played a key role in launching one of UNI’s earliest forms of distance education.

President Malcolm Price wanted to launch a new radio program from campus to Waterloo’s newly established KXEL station. The hope was that Iowa State Teachers College could teach Iowans a variety of subjects and help the state better understand the institution through broadcasting.

As President Malcolm Price put it, “Radio is a powerful force. Iowa State Teachers College seeks to train efficient teachers for the public schools of the state, it must recognize modern instructional instruments such as radio. Our college hopes to pioneer in the appropriate use of this modern instrument in the schools of the state.”

Still a member of the Theater Department, Hake was selected to lead the effort. Despite his limited broadcasting experience, he was eager to prove his value to the college during the uncertainty of World War II and potential staffing cuts. The university granted him a leave of absence to attend a radio workshop and help plan the new radio facilities, laying the foundation for a career that would span decades.

The Iowa State Teachers College of the Air went live on July 12, 1942. After years in theater, to say Hake was stepping out of his comfort zone is an understatement. He taught himself about the world of radio and broadcast on a range of topics from nature to education to current events. About 12 years into his new career, he added television broadcasting to his repertoire as his radio segments morphed into a television series. For example, the National Educational Television network commissioned Hake in 1958 to turn his award-winning “Landmarks of Iowa History” segment into 26 television episodes called “History with Herb Hake.”

No matter the subject, Hake was known for making learning fun. One of the ways he did this was through his “chalk talks” – combining a lesson on Iowa history with one of his famous caricature-style drawings. He ended each episode of “History with Herb Hake” by crafting a cartoon. As assistant Carl Jenkins put it, “Herb tried to get us in the business of educating people without it being painful. I think that’s a good thing to do.”

Hake retired from his role as director of radio and television at UNI in 1972 after three decades of educating Iowans from afar. At the time of Hake’s retirement, UNI’s radio and television studios had grown from nothing to include an FM radio station, student-operated campus radio station, open- and closed-circuit television programs and more than $100,000 of equipment. 

Hake’s influence on broadcasting was widespread, and he was inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 1976. In 1979, UNI awarded Hake an honorary doctorate for his achievements.

Hake was a true renaissance man, but he was always hesitant to brag about his accomplishments. “When I was a kid, they used to say ‘Jack-of-all-trades and master of none’ and that’s the way I think my life has been.”