Long before Mr. Peabody’s Improbable History and its uncanny canine star debuted on Rocky & His Friends (and its later incarnation, The Bullwinkle Show), George Foster Peabody was leaving his mark on history, not only making a great fortune, but advising Presidents, bankrolling social experiments and lending his name to an award that’s synonymous with excellence in electronic media.
And now, with the Friday, Mar. 7, release of the new DreamWorks spinoff movie Mr. Peabody & Sherman, it's a fitting time to take a closer look at the Mr. Peabody who inspired the Peabody Awards, and compare him to the crafty cartoon canine with the same name, who had a pet boy named Sherman.
The two Mr. Peabodys, as the chart below makes clear, have more in common than most people – or puppies – realize:
Mr. Peabody Mr. George Foster Peabody
Television star Television awards’ namesake
Scientific wizard Financial wizard
White coat Wore white coats
Wears horn rims Wore pince nez
Time travels in WABAC machine Born way back in 1852
Advised King Tut, Da Vinci Advised Woodrow Wilson, FDR
Featured in Bullwinkle Show Opposed Bullmoose Party
Known for generosity Philanthropist
Beagle Georgia bulldogs benefactor
Pet boy Sherman Peabody director Barry Sherman
