Wednesdays with Bob

Bob Hawke was born Robert James Lee Hawke in Bordertown, South Australia on December 9, 1929. He received bachelor's degrees in economics and law from the University of Western Australia in 1952 and a degree in literature from University College, Oxford in 1955. He wrote an 80,000-word thesis on Australian's wage system that became a textbook for law students. In 1957, he joined the Australian Council of Trade Unions as head of research and was the president of the organization from 1970 to 1980. In 1980, he won a seat in Parliament representing part of Melbourne. In 1983, he was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party, and a month later led his party to a landslide victory in general elections, making him Australia's 23rd prime minister. He served as prime minister from 1983 to 1991. He retired from politics in 1992. He became a businessman, journalist, and consultant. His book, The Hawke Memoirs, was published in 1994. He died on May 16, 2019 at the age of 89.