Dick Van Patten
A genial, ubiquitous television father figure whose off-screen passion was building a pet food empire dedicated to animal welfare.
1928–2015 (age 87)·American actor·Birthday: December 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dick Van Patten's face was a welcome fixture in American living rooms for decades, radiating a kind of bemused, paternal warmth. A child actor on Broadway, he transitioned seamlessly to television, appearing in hundreds of episodes of various series. He found his defining role as Tom Bradford, the newspaper columnist father of eight on 'Eight Is Enough', a show that captured the chaotic heart of 1970s family life. Van Patten made the harried, loving dad utterly believable. When not on set, he was a relentless entrepreneur and animal advocate. Distressed by the commercial pet food industry, he used his show business earnings to launch Natural Balance, a premium pet food company. He funneled its profits into animal rescue and welfare organizations, establishing a legacy far beyond acting. Van Patten lived a life that mirrored his best-known character: busy, productive, and fundamentally good-hearted.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dick was born in 1928, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Dick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2015Died at 87
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Starred as the lead, Tom Bradford, in the popular ABC family drama series 'Eight Is Enough' from 1977 to 1981.
- Founded Natural Balance Pet Foods, a major premium pet food company, with a mission to support animal welfare.
- Appeared in over two dozen Mel Brooks films, often in cameo roles, including 'Spaceballs' and 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights'.
Did You Know?
He was a champion table tennis player in his youth and even played professionally for a time.
He made his Broadway debut at the age of seven in the play 'Tapestry in Gray'.
He was a dedicated animal rights activist and served on the board of the Wildlife Waystation, a rescue sanctuary.
“I've been very lucky. I've made a living doing what I love, and I've been able to help animals, which I also love.”
