SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– Drury Athletics was saddened to learn of the passing of former men's basketball player and television icon Bob Barker on Saturday. He was 99 years old.
 
Barker enrolled at Drury in 1941 and played basketball for the Panthers under legendary head coach A.L. Weiser. After two years at Drury, Barker left to join the United States Navy Reserves, then returned in 1945 when his military service and World War II came to an end. He graduated from Drury in 1947 with a degree in Economics.  
 
His media career was launched while he was still a student at Drury as Barker went to work for Springfield radio station KTTS. His on-air career eventually took him to California and into the early days of television as he took over as host of the Truth Or Consequences game show in 1956.
 
In 1972, Barker was named as the host of a revived The Price Is Right and anchored game show that would become a staple in the daytime line-up of CBS and is the longest-running daytime game show in television history. He served as host of the show for 35 years, retiring in 2007.
 
Also known for his work as an animal rights activist, Barker donated $3.1 million to Drury from 2008 to 2018 to create and support Drury's animal studies program, which is formally called the Drury University Forum on Animal Rights. His donations also created the Dorothy Jo Barker Endowed Scholarship Fund, named after his wife, who passed away in 1981. The fund provides experiential learning grants for students pursuing a minor or credential in animal studies at Drury.
 
Barker appeared at Drury in May of 2013, just before his 90^th birthday, and addressed that year's graduating class at Commencement. Bob Barker Boulevard, located adjacent to the Drury campus between Central Avenue and Chestnut Expressway, was named in his honor in 2009. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from Drury in 1960.
 
As a child, Barker's family moved to Springfield in 1931 and, before attending Drury, graduated from Senior High School (now Central).
 

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