Background
Hal Block was born August 2, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois. He was originally from the Hyde Park area of Chicago. According to Gil Fates, producer of the What's My Line? television game show, there were rumors Block had come from a rich family. Three comedy writing contemporaries of Block, Melvin Frank, Norman Panama and Bob Weiskopf, also came from Hyde Park. Block attended the University of Chicago High School, graduating in 1930, and then the University of Chicago where he majored in law, graduating in 1935. At the University of Chicago he was co-captain of the university track team, running the 100 and 220 yards sprints, member of Zeta Beta Tau (Alpha Beta, Chicago) fraternity and editor of the university humor magazine.
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