Ron Hull, a legend in public broadcasting in Nebraska and nationally, has died at age 92. Funeral services will be a week from tomorrow in Lincoln.
Born in a bordello in the Black Hills, Hull had a remarkable 70-year career in public broadcasting that started in 1955 as a producer/director at NET, now Nebraska Public Media – one of its first 5 employees when it had no studio, cameras, or budget.
Still a senior advisor when he died, Hull over the years interviewed many of Nebraska’s literary treasures including writer/poet John Neihardt and author Mari Sandoz – a friend and colleague at UNL, as well as actors Sandy Dennis and Henry Fonda, and talk show host Dick Cavett.
He left Nebraska to be a telecommunications adviser to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, then in the early 1980s worked for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, where he began the “American Experience” series.
Hull also secured funding for “NOVA” and programming from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, brought newscaster Bill Moyers back to public television and gave award-winning documentary film director Ken Burns seed money for his game-changing documentary series The Civil War.
Ron Hull was a tireless promoter of Nebraska literary events. He served as master of ceremonies at the annual Neihardt Day in Bancroft for over 50 years and was a key part of beginning and continuing annual conferences on Mari Sandoz and Willa Cather.
Hull helped spearhead Nebraska’s celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s bicentennial in 2003-2006 and chaired the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, which earlier this year selected Malcolm X as its next inductee.
Hull was honored over the years by many organizations in Nebraska and elsewhere, including being inducted into the Gold Circle honor society of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
He was also the recipient of the “Sower Award” from Humanities Nebraska, the “Distinguished Nebraskan Award” from the Nebraska Society of Washington D.C., and the “In the Spirit of Sandoz Award” from the Mari Sandoz Society.