Norbert F. Dompke, Chicagoan Cornered School Photo Market, 83

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Norbert Dompke, a co-founder of TV Forecast who used the proceeds of
its sale in 1953 to buy Root Studios, died of renal failure Monday,
March 8, 2003, in Munster, Indiana, at the age of 83.

Norbert F. Dompke's legacy as a successful businessman is evident in
the four letters found on the bottom of thousands of high school
portraits taken through the years by his photography studio.

"Just about everyone in Illinois can look at the corner of their high
school picture and see it says Root," said his niece, Debbie Dompke.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Dompke graduated from Wilson
Junior College in 1940 and later joined the Air Force with hopes of
being a fighter pilot during World War II. Poor vision prevented that,
so he instead served as an Air Force instructor.

After his discharge he became a certified public accountant and, along
with three friends, in May 1948 founded TV Forecast, the world's first
continuously published weekly TV magazine.

As television's popularity grew, so did their small publication, which
initially was sent out free to the 16,000 television set owners in
Chicago. Within a year, it had grown from 16 to 36 pages and fans had
to pay 15 cents to buy a copy. The magazine's fame drew the attention
of Walter Annenberg, who purchased it for nearly $1 million in 1953.
It became the basis of the national TV Guide publication.

At the suggestion of a banking friend, Mr. Dompke used his proceeds
from the sale to purchase Root Studios in 1955, changing its focus
from weddings and baby portraits to school photography.

He divorced his first wife, Muriel, in 1964 and later married his
second wife, Marjorie.

"He ran Root with Marjorie and they worked together to build it into
the large corporation it became," said his nephew, Terry Dompke.
"Uncle Norb was extremely proud of his accomplishments and he loved
the photography business."

"It was like a small empire," said Flora Gaeto, who was in charge of
the studio's receptionists for 20 years. Receptionists were
responsible for going to the high schools and signing in the juniors
for their senior-year portrait. "No matter where you went, Root had
that school's business--all the schools in Illinois and Indiana, some
in Wisconsin and even Ohio."

The success of the company enabled Mr. Dompke and his wife to indulge
their passion for traveling and the joy they found in treating their
friends and family to dinners at upscale restaurants and theater
performances.

"He and Marjorie were such generous people, you always were his guest
no matter where you went, he would never let you pick up the check,"
said his niece. "They were very hard people to ever pay back." In 1996
they retired from the business that has since relocated from Chicago
to Ottawa. They moved to Munster a few years ago.

His wife died in 2002 and as Mr. Dompke's health began to fail, his
niece and nephew helped care for him.