Herb Hake

Herb Hake was an author, cartoonist, radio, and television personality; associated with the University of Northern Iowa. He was awarded several honorary doctoral degrees. Herbert V. Hake, son of Henry and Louisa Hake, was born August 10, 1903, in Hoyleton, Illinois. His father was a painting contractor and a school board member who had some drawing skills. He nurtured Herb's strong interest in art. In the late 1920's, Herb went to college at Central Wesleyan in Missouri. He worked at various occupations including layout work for World Color Printing in St. Louis, and writing movie reviews for the St. Louis Times.

After a year in St. Louis, Herb returned to his home county and took a teaching certification examination and taught in a rural school for a year. He then did graduate work at the Northwestern University in Illinois and joined the faculty at Central Wesleyan until it closed. Herb then went to graduate school at the University of Missouri and later Iowa State Teachers College, in Cedar Falls, Iowa where he earned his master's degree in scenic design in 1933. The summer of 1936, he landed a job there in the theater department . From 1938 to 1942 he served as technical director, scenic designer and instructor of speech courses. He and one other teacher ran the drama department.

In 1942, education was cut short for military service; enrollment in college fell drastically. The drama department was cut back by one, and Herb was asked to take over the radio business at the college or lose his job altogether. With very little experience or equipment, and a technical manual in hand, Herb started his new career. By the late 1950's he was learning television. During Hake's 30 years at the school, now the University of Northern Iowa, the radio and television facilities grew to include an FM radio station, a student-operated campus radio station, open and closed-circuit television programs and thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Hake retired in 1972 and was inducted into the Iowa Broadcasters Hall of Fame. And in his honor, the call letters of one of the university's radio stations was changed to KHKE.

Herb Hake directed and hosted several radio and TV programs, "Story Hour", "Landmarks in Iowa History" and "History with Herb Hake". He was a 'chalk talker', telling the story while drawing on the chalk board. Herb wrote articles and books on stagecraft, and authored the "Cartoon History of Iowa" (1969); "Bicentennial Outlines of Cedar Falls",a coloring book; and "101 Stories of Cedar Falls", which is a collection of his "Pioneers, Prophets and Professors" column which appeared in the Record, the Cedar Falls newspaper, in the early 1970's. Profits from this book aided the Cedar Falls Historical Society in its drive to turn the old ice house into a museum. Herb was president of the society from 1972-1974 and served on its board as well as that of the State Historical Society of Iowa.

In retirement Hake interviewed long-time residents of Cedar Falls, and recorded their thoughts on tape, to be kept for reference at the society. Mr. Hake used print, chalk, electronic journalism and personal appearances to effectively educate the public to appreciate its heritage. His contributions to the Cedar Falls Historical Society are here for all to treasure.

Herbert V. Hake married his wife Monabell on June 4, 1930, in Fayette, Missouri. They had two daughters, Priscilla and Patricia. Herb died March 10, 1980, at the age of 76 of cancer, of which he had suffered for many years.

References

*Obituary of Herbert V. Hake, Cedar Falls Record, March 11, 1980

*The Alumnus, Vol 57, No2, Pub. University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, May 1973, "UNI's First Broadcaster Ends Versatile Career" by Barbara Severin-Lounsberry

*The Record, Cedar Falls, Iowa, January 20, 1979,"Portrait of Herb Hake-an uncured ham" by Rae Riebe

Writings by Hake

*"101 Stories of Cedar Falls" (1977)

Television career

*"Landmarks in Iowa History Series" (WOI-TV)