Geoffrey Baer

Last updated
Geoffrey Baer
Born
Geoffrey Baer

1960
Alma materMiami University and Northwestern University
Occupation(s)Television personality, actor
Years activeEarly 1990s–present

Geoffrey Baer is an American television personality, actor and producer best known for hosting the 10 That Changed America series, the Chicago By Boat architecture series, and other television programs produced by WTTW in Chicago for Illinois PBS stations. [1] [2] His programs offer an enhanced understanding of the history, culture, and people of the Chicago area as well as American architecture.

Contents

Early life

Born in 1960, Baer was raised in the Chicago suburbs of Highland Park and Deerfield. [3] Baer's father was an accountant while his mother worked as a music and art teacher. [3] His family is of Eastern European Jewish ancestry. [4] Baer recalls one prophetic childhood moment in which his Russian/Yiddish grandmother, grasping his face in her hands, proclaimed that he would be on television someday. [3] Baer was involved in theater in high school, and he majored in radio, television and film at Miami University. [3]

Career

After graduating from college, Baer worked at various television stations in Cincinnati, Saginaw, Michigan, and Philadelphia, eventually becoming a staff producer of a nightly television show in Philadelphia. [3] Returning to school at Northwestern University’s School of Communication, Baer earned a master's degree in theater, [3] and then taught theater part-time for five years at a small, private high school called the Chicago Academy for the Arts. [3] He also became a volunteer docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation and led boat tours of the Chicago River. [3]

Work with WTTW

In 1989, Baer began working for WTTW Chicago as an associate producer for arts programs [3] [5] while continuing to lead Chicago Architecture Foundation boat tours on the weekends. [3] In 1995, the newly-appointed chairman of WTTW took one such tour and approached Baer afterward. [3] According to Baer, "By the time I got to work the next day, he’d called the station and said we should make the tour a TV show." [3] His first show, Chicago By Boat, became so popular that it was updated in 2006. [3] [1] By then, Baer had hosted more than 20 programs highlighting Chicago area architecture and history. [3] Today, Baer's programs often accompany pledge drives for WTTW because pledges tend to increase during Baer's programs or when DVDs of his programs are offered as gifts in exchange for pledges. [3] Baer often serves as host and producer for these pledge shows. [4]

Personal life

Baer lives in Evanston, Illinois; he has a wife and two daughters. [3] In his free time, he enjoys competitive sailing and rowing. [3]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1995, 2017The Chicago River Tour with Geoffrey BaerHost
2001Chicago by 'L'Host
2002Chicago's North ShoreHost
2003South of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, ShorelineHost
20057 Wonders of ChicagoHost
2006Chicago By Boat: The New River TourHost
2006Northwest of Chicago: From Farm Fields to Boomtowns with Geoffrey BaerHost
2007Foods of Chicago: A Delicious HistoryHost
2007Southwest Suburbs: Birthplace of ChicagoHost
2008Chicago's LakefrontHost
2008Chicago's Western Suburbs: From Prairie Soil to Prairie StyleHost
2009Hidden ChicagoHost
2009Hidden Chicago 2Host
201010 Buildings That Changed AmericaHost
2010Biking the Boulevards with Geoffrey BaerHost
2010Fox River Valley and Chain O'LakesHost
2010Seven Wonders of Chicago with Geoffrey BaerHost
2011Chicago's Loop: A New Walking TourHost
2011Chicago Stories: The Race to MackinacHost
2013Chicago Time MachineHost
2013Golden Apple Awards for Excellence In Teaching '13Host
2014Where in Chicago?Host
2015Chicago's South SideHost
20152015 Golden Apple Awards For Excellence In TeachingHost
2016Navy Pier: A Century of ReinventionHost
201610 Homes That Changed AmericaHost
201610 Parks That Changed AmericaHost
201610 Towns That Changed AmericaHost
2017Weekend in HavanaHost
201810 Monuments That Changed AmericaHost
2019Chicago on Vacation with Geoffrey BaerHost
2020Chicago by 'L'Host
????10 Streets That Changed AmericaHost
????10 Modern Marvels That Changed AmericaHost
????Portraits in ArchitectureHost
2023The Most Beautiful Places in ChicagoHost

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References

  1. 1 2 "Geoffrey Baer". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  2. "Programs A-Z | WTTW Chicago". Wttw.com. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Ask Geoffrey" . Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Interview: WTTW's Geoffrey Baer". Archived from the original on 2016-01-13. Retrieved 2016-05-03.
  5. Profile at LinkedIn