Van grew up in Adel, Iowa, just outside Des Moines. Being an only child, his parents reported he was an extremely creative and inventive child. Kindergarten through 12th grade he walked across the street to school every day. He attended Drake University in Des Moines where he received a B.A. in Radio TV journalism in 1973.
 Radio has always been a passion for Van, spending a lot of time tuning and listening as a youngster. In 1971 Van got his first radio job at KDLS FM in Perry, Iowa, and after graduating from Drake, was named Program Director at the station. In 1974 he became the morning air personality at KWEN in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he stayed for a year before returning to Iowa.
In 1975 Van became an air personality at KRNT Radio in Des Moines, where he spent a total of 10 years, with a two year break in between when he worked for the American Lung Association of Iowa as Development and Public Relations Director.
In 1986 Van moved across town to host the morning show on 50 thousand watt WHO Radio. In 1987 he was also named Program Director. After joining the station, WHO's morning show quickly became the most listened to radio program in the state of Iowa.
In 1991 Van began hosting a daily television program on WHO TV. That local variety show aired for four years.
While continuing to work at WHO, in late 1991, Van and a business partner bought KLSN FM Radio in Jefferson, Iowa, which they owned for two years, then sold.
Under Van's leadership WHO Radio has won seven national Marconi awards from the National Association of Broadcasters, two of which were awarded to him personally as medium market personality of the year in 1992 and 1997.
In 2004, Van invented the DayTeller® timepiece, which became available to the public in 2005.
Also in 2004, Van created again! This time it was a pizza that contained no bread. The Van Harden Cheese Crust PizzaTM has since taken the pizza market by storm! To read more of this story, click here.
Van is married with two sons, born in 1981 and 1983, and a daughter born in 1989.
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