Bob Boysen

Born Robert Deane Boysen in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 23, 1944. Son of parents involved in broadcasting since the early 1940s. Dad, Jim Boysen - later J. Peder Boysen, was noted radio DJ and Personality on WCCO and WTCN in Minneapolis as well as a short sting on WTMJ, Milwaukee. In the early 1950s, Bob was a regular on his parents (Jim and Vera Boysen) TV Show, "Boysens at Home" which was broadcast from the WTCN, Channel 11 Studios in the Calhoun Beach Hotel. In 1954, the family moved to Los Angeles, where Jim was a network DJ on ABC - West Coast with weekly programs broadcast across the country as far east as the Mississippi River. He also was a Special Events producer for ABC and KABC. Bob became contracted with his first agent for acting at that time. He was a guest on the KTTV - Channel 11 Movie Show airing during those days with host Mel Jass. He also participated in the media opening day of Disneyland in Anaheim on July 17, 1955. He was filmed in some crowd shots, but nothing noteworthy. The family moved back to the Twin Cities area in late 1956 and Bob had a summer "job" in radio at WLOL (where is Dad was the Program Director) 1958. In April of 1960. the family moved back to Los Angeles. This time Bob was more aggressive in locating an agent again, and lined up "My 3 Sons" with Don Fedderson Productions and Peter Tewksbury, Director. He was 16. Shortly after filming, parents divorced, and Bob was sent to finish high school in the hometown of grandparents in Wisconsin. After that, Bob went to broadcast school (Brown Institute) and worked in radio, including a stint as Senior Broadcast Announcer with AFN (American Forces Network) in Europe - based in Stuttgart, Germany. He was also News Director, did special events and had a daily radio program. Following the active Army enlistment, Bob worked other radio stations and TV in the U.S. including in Wisconsin, Texas and Arizona.