III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 261 

Expressing appreciation for the profound public service and educational 

contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert, fondly known as ‘‘Mr. Wizard’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 28, 2007 

Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. DOMENICI, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. 

KLOBUCHAR, Mr. FEINGOLD, and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing appreciation for the profound public service and 

educational contributions of Donald Jeffry Herbert, fondly known as ‘‘Mr. Wizard’’. 

Whereas many citizens of the United States remember Donald Jeffry Herbert as ‘‘Mr. Wizard’’ and mourn his passing; 

Whereas Don Herbert was born in Waconia, Minnesota and 

graduated from the La Crosse State Teacher’s College in 

Wisconsin in 1940 where he trained to be a science 

teacher; 

Whereas Don Herbert volunteered for the United States 

Army Air Corps and served our country in the Atlantic 

theater and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and 

the Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters; 


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•SRES 261 IS 

Whereas Don Herbert developed the idea for science programming culminating in ‘‘Watch Mr. Wizard’’, a live television show produced from 1951 to 1964 and honored 

by a Peabody Award in 1954; 

Whereas the National Science Foundation and the American 

Chemical Society lauded Don Herbert and his show for 

promoting interest in science and his contributions to 

science education; 

Whereas ‘‘Watch Mr. Wizard’’ has been recognized by numerous awards; 

Whereas an additional educational program, ‘‘Mr. Wizard’s 

World’’, inspired children from 1983 to 1990 on cable 

television; 

Whereas ‘‘Mr. Wizard’’ continued to serve as an ambassador 

for science education by authoring multiple books and 

programs, and by traveling to schools and providing 

classroom demonstrations; 

Whereas educational research indicates that young children 

make decisions about future careers at a very early age 

and are influenced greatly by positive contacts with 

science and technology; 

Whereas a strong education in science and technology is one 

of the building blocks of a productive, competitive, and 

healthy society; 

Whereas ‘‘Mr. Wizard’’ encouraged children to duplicate his 

experiments at home, driving independent inquiry into 

science with simple household equipment; 

Whereas ‘‘Mr. Wizard’s’’ dynamic and energetic science experiments attracted unprecedented numbers of children 

to educational programming, even those who were disinterested or unmotivated in science; 


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•SRES 261 IS 

Whereas Mr. Wizard Science Clubs were started across the 

United States and had more than 100,000 children enrolled in 5,000 clubs by the mid-1950s; and 

Whereas Don Herbert will be remembered as a pioneer of 

commercial educational programming and instrumental in 

making science education exciting and approachable for 

millions of children across the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses appreciation for the profound 

3 public service and educational contributions of Don4 ald Jeffry Herbert; 

5 (2) recognizes the profound impact of higher 

6 educational institutions that train teachers; 

7 (3) encourages students to honor the heritage 

8 of Don Herbert by exploring our world through 

9 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

10 fields; and 

11 (4) tenders condolences to the family of Don 

12 Herbert and thanks them for their strong familial 

13 support of him. 

Æ 


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