Graduated from Fairmount High School in Cleveland, Ohio.
Has 4 adopted children: Eleanora Avis "Nora", Anthony, Linda Hope and Kelly Hope.
Has a ship named after him: USNS Bob Hope.
Has entertained the troops overseas in every war from WWII to the Gulf War
Has three theaters named after him, located in London, California, and on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
He and best friend Bing Crosby were planning to make one last "road" picture in early 1977, but Bing died before filming. Bob was so broken up about Bing's death that he couldn't sleep for days on end. He stated that it was one of the worst times of his life and that his wife was his rock who got him through the tough time.
He bought several acres of prime real estate in Rancho Mirage, CA, to build a racetrack. He later decided a medical center was needed in the area instead, so he donated the land to build Eisenhower Medical Center, which is now rated as among the top 100 hospitals in America today. A medical building on the campus is named for him and contains statues of he and wife Dolores Hope in the lobby. Another medical building next door is called "Hope Square".
He changed his name from Leslie to Bob, because in school they would call the roll as 'Hope, Leslie' and classmates shortened it to hopeless.
He entertained 11 different Presidents, beginning with Franklin D. Roosevelt and ending with Bill Clinton.
He is among the select few non-band members who have had the honor of dotting the "i" during The Ohio State University Marching Band's 'Script Ohio' routine. This is considered the greatest honor the band can bestow to any non-band person and is an extremely special (and rare) event.
He was a staunch supporter of the Republican Party.
He was awarded 4 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard; for Radio at 6141 Hollywood Boulevard; for Live Theatre at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6758 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990.
He was one of the richest movie stars.... he ranked in the top ten highest salaried stars continuously from 1941-1953 [except for 1948]
He was the only entertainer to have complete carte blanche to walk on whenever he felt like it on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962).
His golf buddy was Prescott Bush, the father and grandfather of presidents George Bush and George W. Bush.
His grandfather lived to age of 99 years, 11 months, and 25 days
His last TV appearance with Lucille Ball was March 28, 1989 on The 61st Annual Academy Awards (1989) (TV). They received a standing ovation upon walking out on stage. Hope and Ball introduced a musical number featuring "The Stars of Tomorrow", which included Johnny Depp, Christian Slater, and Ricki Lake. Lucille Ball passed away 28 days later on April 26, 1989.
His mother's name was Agnes Townes (she was a concert singer). He had many brothers, including Jack Hope (1898 - 1962) who was his personal manager. James Hope was Director of Hope Enterprises. Ivor Hope (? - 1969) was President of Hope Metal Products. George Hope (? - 1969) was a production company coordinator. Two more brothers were Sidney Hope (? - 1946) and Frederick Hope.
Holds two entries in "The Guinness Book of World Records". One is for having the distinction of being the entertainer with "the longest running contract with a single network - spanning sixty-one years". The second is for being the "most honored entertainer", with over 1500 awards.