Geoffrey Baer

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.

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

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
Year Title Role Notes
1995 The Chicago River Tour with Geoffrey Baer Host
2001 Chicago by 'L' Host
2002 Chicago's North Shore Host
2003 South of Chicago: Suburbs, Steel Mills, Shoreline Host
2005 7 Wonders of Chicago Host
2006 Chicago By Boat: The New River Tour Host
2006 Northwest of Chicago: From Farm Fields to Boomtowns with Geoffrey Baer Host
2007 Foods of Chicago: A Delicious History Host
2007 Southwest Suburbs: Birthplace of Chicago Host
2008 Chicago's Lakefront Host
2008 Chicago's Western Suburbs: From Prairie Soil to Prairie Style Host
2009 Hidden Chicago Host
2009 Hidden Chicago 2 Host
2010 10 Buildings That Changed America Host
2010 Biking the Boulevards with Geoffrey Baer Host
2010 Fox River Valley and Chain O'Lakes Host
2010 Seven Wonders of Chicago with Geoffrey Baer Host
2011 Chicago's Loop: A New Walking Tour Host
2011 Chicago Stories: The Race to Mackinac Host
2013 Chicago Time Machine Host
2013 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence In Teaching '13 Host
2014 Where in Chicago? Host
2015 Chicago's South Side Host
2015 2015 Golden Apple Awards For Excellence In Teaching Host
2016 Navy Pier: A Century of Reinvention Host
2016 10 Homes That Changed America Host
2016 10 Parks That Changed America Host
2016 10 Towns That Changed America Host
2017 Weekend in Havana Host
2018 10 Monuments That Changed America Host
2019 Chicago on Vacation with Geoffrey Baer Host
2020 Chicago by 'L' Host
???? 10 Streets That Changed America Host
???? 10 Modern Marvels That Changed America Host
???? Portraits in Architecture Host

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