Public Television pioneer Ron Hull may have been born in South Dakota, but he was a Nebraska man through and through. A state, in his words, that cultivates fiercely independent, creative people who value honesty and hard work. He enriched his adopted state by bringing the works of famous Nebraskans like Mari Sandoz, John G. Neihardt, and Willa Cather, in addition to countless musicians, playwrights, and poets to the televisions of even the most remote farm in the Sandhills. And in the last year of his life, Hull collaborated with Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, to finally bring her father’s legacy to the Nebraska Hall of Fame. His commitment to education and culture that was embraced by the state brought him all the way to Washington DC, where as Corporation of Public Broadcast Television Program Fund Director, he helped kick start valuable programs such as the 30 time Emmy Award winning PBS show “American Experience” and “Reading Rainbow”. Ten years before his passing, Hull released his autobiography Backstage: Stories from My Life in Public Television in 2012, which was recognized as a notable book for Nebraska’s “150 Celebration”. Cementing his legacy as a true Nebraskan figure.
Without the late Ron Hull, public television as we know it wouldn’t exist. Before he had become a television legend, Ron was an army grunt stuck in Fort Sill, Oklahoma after being drafted near the end of the Korean War. But it was there that the wayward drama major got his big break- with no experience in film or television, he was assigned to produce a weekly show for the base. Ron, with a ragtag group and a small sound stage brought his first live TV program to life, having to learn the basics on the fly. After the success of ‘Front and Center‘, Ron’s passion for public and educational television was ignited. He joined the budding public television team in Lincoln, Nebraska, helped establish a unified television network in war-torn Korea using airplane transmitters, taught in Taiwan, became an influential member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and so much more. Along the way, he would meet a host of celebrities, high ranking politicians and military personnel, authors, poets, and even become embroiled in a high-profile lawsuit against NBC. Through it all, his support and passion for public education and culture never burned out.
“I learned a long time ago that if you can read, you can do anything.”
– Ron Hull
Ron Hull was a man who was shaped by the people around him, and he took no shame in telling others about his brushes with fame or celebrity friends, of which he had many and came by honestly. Hull’s love for people and their histories shone in his work all over the world. When appointed to the CPB, a fellow TV executive boasted: “I’m happy Ron Hull finally got a job where he can drop his own name”. Hull’s autobiography is full of incredible tidbits of his amazing life and his excellent, personable storytelling shines. Book Club Groups interested famous Nebraskans, exploring the early days of television in America, or those who enjoy memoirs full of memorable characters and stories will have much to discuss and share when reading Backstage. With the future of public broadcasting in the balance, Backstage exists as an important historical document of its beginnings and cultural value. To aid in your group’s discussion, I have compiled a list of helpful Discussion Questions.
If you’re interested in requesting Backstage for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 6 copies. (A librarian must request items)Hull, Ron. Backstage: Stories from My Life in Public Television. Bison Books. 2012.
