REBECCA JONES WINS 2003 CAWELTI AWARD

At the conclusion of each year, MWOTRC chooses a recipient of the Stan Cawelti Award. This honor goes to the club member who has truly exemplified the highest standards of dedication, kindness, and friendliness. Rebecca Jones, our popular Audio Librarian, is the deserving winner of the award for 2003. She was given possession of a “traveling plaque” with her name engraved on it, which she retains for one year, and an inscribed silver Jefferson’s cup, which is hers to keep. It’s obvious why Rebecca finished first in the balloting for this honor. She is a ray of sunshine in her role as Audio Librarian, renting cassettes and CDs to all patrons. Rebecca has assembled a team of volunteers to inventory, archive, and catalogue our expanding archives and all of us are better served because of her generous spirit.

December 2003

The audio library catalog that many of you have been waiting for is now completed and ready for distribution.  Since the last catalog came out in 1999, there have been many changes to our collection; the most significant being the addition of nearly 200 CDs.  We will now be offering the catalog on CD-ROM as well as traditional paper format.  To request a catalog, contact Rebecca Jones, Coordinating Librarian, rjones@mwotrc.com.  Please include your name and address, MWOTRC membership expiration date, and choice of paper or CD-ROM.  The paper format is large and expensive to ship, so if you can pick up your catalog at the monthly meeting, please see me there.  (The library catalog is only available to MWOTRC members.  Join our group!)

November 2003

In connection with the research on my book, I was doing the section on Wendy Warren and the News, a detective/soap opera which CBS newsman Doug Edwards was on (for 11 years). Edwards donated all his paper and other archival materials to St. Bonaventure University in NY, and on their web site, I found some detailed biographical info on Edwards. But it did not mention his long tour on Wendy Warren, so I emailed the writer of the bio, university archivist, Dennis Frank. He was delighted to hear from me, and added my information on that series to their web site. Wendy Warren mention appears in the 9th paragraph of Edwards' bio: http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/archives/Edwards/biography.html

August 2003

UPCOMING MEETINGS: Here's what we have in store during the next few months...

October 10th: Re-creation of "You Are There" with special guest, Robert Lewis Shayon, who was the Producer-Director of this series in the 1940s.

November 14: The beloved sage of local FM radio, Dennis Owens, is our guest speaker for this fascinating meeting.

Edgar Russell (left) speaks to co-president Chuck Langdon. Both men write and produce radio plays.

(Both photos provided by Jonathan Orovitz)

GENEROUS DONATION TO CLUB: Ted Davenport, who operates Radio Memories, recently donated 300 OTR shows on cassette to MWOTRC. They are being cataloged and will be included in the rental archives maintained by our Cassette Librarian. We all appreciate Ted's kindness and generosity. The address for Ted's OTR business is P.O. Box 94548, N. Little Rock, AR 72190 or you can go to his web site at www.radiomemories.com and view his wide selection of OTR materials. Incidentally, Ted is one of the few OTR dealers who gives a 10% discount to AARP members.

NEW BOOK OUT ON THE HUMMERTS: McFarland & Company has just released a new softback book entitled "Frank and Anne Hummert's Radio Factory", which was written by MWOTRC member Jim Cox of Louisville, KY. This highly fascinating and enjoyable book tells all about this famous radio couple who not only produced most of the popular soap operas during the Golden Age of Radio, but also many musical shows and adventure programs, including "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons", "Jack Armstrong", and "Mr. Chameleon."

SEEKING DAN DUNN: In connection with my upcoming book on radio's lady detectives, I am interested in locating audio copies of "Dan Dunn, Secret Operative" which was a syndicated series in 1937. About four of the 78 episodes has survived; I have one and would like to find the other three. Dunn was an imitation of Dick Tracy and he appeared not only in the comics, but also in two Big Little Books.  Please contact Jack French if you can help.

June 2003

We all owe a debt of gratitude to member Elizabeth P. Minney of Quemado, TX.  She has just completed indexing five years' worth of RADIO RECALL issues, 1997-2002.  It's now available online as well as in printed form. 

April 2003

OTR PREMIUMS FEATURED IN CURRENT PUBS - Club member, and prominent OTR author, Jim Harmon of California reports that the current issue of "Alter-Ego Magazine", available in most comic book and specialty stores, there is a short article by him on the Tom Mix radio show and premium comic books It also contains another much longer article on Mix comic books by Bill Harper of NC (he is the former editor of the Straight Arrow fanzine). Thirdly, there is another article by Harmon on Captain Midnight, both on radio and in comics; it is the twenty page lead in the issue. Issue retails for $6.95.

Steven Kallis, Jr. of FL, a regular contributor to RADIO RECALL, advises that his lengthy article on OTR code and crypto devices from many radio shows, including the Captain Midnight series, is in the current issue of "Eye Spy", together with lots of full-color photographs. Although this is a British magazine, it is sold in many stores in the US. Maryland member Fred Fett bought a copy this week in his local Giant grocery supermarket, so copies are definitely available.

BOOK BARGAIN - "The Encyclopedia of American Radio: An A to Z Guide" by Ron Lackmann (Facts on File Publishers), which originally retailed for about $ 60, is now available from Edward R. Hamilton, Booksellers for $ 9.95 plus postage. This very large (8 X 11) book has 370 pages of synopses of programs, broadcast histories, biographies of cast and crew members, from the soaps to the adventure shows to the news programs. Numerous B&W illustrations. Note: This is an updated (and more accurate) edition of Lackmann's first one, called "Same Time, Same Station." For more information, go to www.EdwardRHamilton.com

LOOKING FOR RADIO VOICES IN MARYLAND REGION - The fifth annual "Maryland Day" will be held on the campus of UM at College Park, MD on the last Saturday in April, the 26th. The entire campus will feature free events in a day of learning, exploration, and fun. The public is welcome to all events, which will include kayaking, movies, lectures, demonstrations, hands-on crafts, music, refreshments, dance groups, sheep shearing demonstration, horseback riding, paint your own toy terrapin, examine documents relating to Amelia Earhart on loan from National Archives, and about 80 other scheduled events of interest.

One activity that caught our eye was "Perform Your Own Radio Show" which will be held all day, 10 AM to 4 PM in the Library of American Broadcasting, 3rd floor within Hornbake Library. Description of event reads: "Bring your best radio voice. Scripts, microphones, and sound effects will be provided. Participants will be given a tape of their radio debut." For more details or additional information, go to www.marylandday.umd.edu or phone toll free, 877-UMTERPS.

February 2003