Robert William Barker (1923 - 2023)

Born 12 Dec 1923 in Darrington, Snohomish, Washington, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Josephine (Gideon) Barker — married 12 Jan 1945 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Died 26 Aug 2023 at age 99 in Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Robert was Lakota.

Robert William Barker was an American former television game show host. He was known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1974.

Barker was born on December 12, 1923, in Darrington, Washington, and spent most of his youth on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885–1940, list Barker as an official member of the Sioux tribe.^[1][2] His mother, Matilda ("Tillie") Valandra (née Matilda Kent Tarleton), was a school teacher; his father, Byron John Barker, was the foreman on the electrical high line through the state of Washington. While in Washington, his father fell from a tower and sustained an injury which resulted in his death in 1929. Barker has a half-brother from Matilda's subsequent remarriage.

In 1931, the family moved to Springfield, Missouri, where Barker graduated from Central High School in 1941. At the time of the draft registration in 1942, Barker was living in Springfield, Missouri with his mother. He was described as 6'1" in height and weighed 160 pounds. He had blue eyes. The registration gave his birth date as 12 December 1923 and his birth place as Darrington, Washington.^[3]

Barker was married to Dorothy Jo Gideon 12 January 1945 in St. Louis, Missouri. Here's their wedding announcement:^[4]

Wed in St. Louis

Of particular interest to Springfieldians is the announcement made by Mr. and Mrs. j. Oliver Gideon of the marriage of their daughter, Dorothy Jo, to Ens. Robert W. Barker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis V. Barker.

The surprise ceremony was performed Friday, Jan 12, in St. Louis. Attending the attractive young couple were Ens. and Mrs. Howard Hessick, a bride and groom of one week. Ensign Hessick was a fellow Naval Air corps student of Ensign Barker.

The bride is a graduate of SHS, where she was a member of Lambda Alpha Lambda sorority and will receive her diploma from Drury college this June upon the completion of an examination. She is an active member of Delta Delta Delta sorority.

The groom is also a graduate of SHS and was attending Drury college, where he was affiliated with Sigma Nu fraternity, at the time of his enlistment in the Naval Air corps. He received his commission and wings December 6, at Corpus Christi, Texas.

The newlyweds will return to Springfield within the next few days before departing for Deland.

Barker attended Drury College (now Drury University) in Springfield, on a basketball scholarship. He was a member of the Epsilon Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity at Drury. On the outbreak of World War II, Barker served in the United States Navy as a fighter pilot. However, the war ended before he was assigned to a seagoing squadron. After the war, he returned to Drury to finish his education, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in economics.

Barker worked part-time in radio while he attended college. In 1950, Barker moved to California in order to pursue a career in broadcasting. He was given his own radio show, The Bob Barker Show, which ran for the next six years. Barker began his game show career in 1956, hosting Truth or Consequences. From there, he hosted various game shows, as well as the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants from 1967 to 1987, giving him the distinction of being the longest-serving host of these pageants. Eventually, he began hosting The Price Is Right in 1972.

When his wife Dorothy Jo died, Barker became an advocate for animal rights and of animal-rights activism, supporting groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. In 2007, Barker retired from hosting The Price Is Right after celebrating his 50-year career on television.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7KD3-6V3Z : 16 April 2021), Robert William Barker, South Dakota, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
2. ↑ "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7T1W-RSPZ : 16 April 2021), Robert William Barker, Rosebud, Rosebud, Montana, United States; citing Census, NARA microfilm publication M595. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1967.
3. ↑ "Missouri, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLX1-NL2Y : 3 March 2020), Robert William Barker, 30 Jun 1942; records extracted by FamilySearch, images digitized by Ancestry; citing Draft Registration, Springfield, , Missouri, United States, NARA NAID 5833895 "Draft Registration Cards for Missouri, 10/16/1940 – 3/31/1947", National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri, FHL microfilm .
4. ↑ The Springfield News-Leader Springfield, Missouri • Sun, Jan 14, 1945 Page 13.
5. ↑ Wikipedia entry for Bob Barker

• Notable Sigma Nu Members: Bob Barker, Epsilon Beta (Drury University)
• Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
  Find A Grave: Memorial #258355201 (accessed 28 August 2023)
  Memorial page for Bob Barker (12 Dec 1923-26 Aug 2023), citing Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA (plot: Sheltering Hills Section, Map #C06, Lot 1538, Space 1); Maintained by Find a Grave.

See Also:

• - Are you related to Bob Barker
• Are you related to Bob Barker