NBC Transmitter (Jan-Dec 1939)

FEBRUARY, 1939 7 NBC CHICAGO by Lynn Brandt Newly appointed Executive Vice President Niles Trammell (right) smiles as Acting Manager Sidney N. Strotz presents him with gifts from the Chicago staff as he prepares to leave the Merchandise Mart for Radio City, New York. New Names, Addresses and Titles Miss Marge Niess has been appointed supervisor of the Information Division in Press, and Mrs. Viola Olden is now supervisor of Audience Mail, succeeding Miss Niess. Miss Beth Huffman has been transferred from Central Stenographic to the Information Division. Miss Laura Skidmore has been engaged to replace Miss Huffman in Central Stenographic. Miss Gertrude Ashfield is a newcomer in Audience Mail. Newcomers to the Production staff are Roy Winsor, formerly of WCCO, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Harold Bean, who is wellknown in radio circles in Chicago. Miss Helen O’Connor, formerly of Program, is now secretary to Sidney Strotz, acting manager of the Central Division. Miss Isabelle Cooney is now in the Program Department as secretary to C. L. Menser, recently appointed program manager. Miss Marge Kerr has resigned from Press to join the Tom Fizdale publicity firm in New York. Marge is the wife of Phil Davis, prominent orchestra leader. Farewell Luncheon to Trammell When Niles Trammell left NBC Chicago early last month to assume his new duties in New York as executive vice-president of NBC, the Chicago staff gave him a farewell luncheon. As farewell gifts, he was presented with two traveling cases and a brief case. The larger case was marked, “Niles Trammell, Chicago”; the smaller, “Niles Trammell, New York”; and the matching brief case was stamped, “Niles Trammell, Hollywood.” The presentations were made by Sidney Strotz, acting manager of the Central Division. Super Salesman Reese Jack Reese, an enterprising member of the Mail Room Staff who is now convalescing from an appendectomy, earned $25.00 while lying on his hack in the hospital immediately following his operation; and thereby reduced the cost of his operation by that sum. It seems that the surgeon who performed the operation found an appendix which was five times larger than normal. News of the discovery soon hrou ght every doctor attached to the hospital staff to the scene to view the anatomical phenomena. Proving that men of science are not immune to the virus of commercialization, one of the disciples of Hippocrates made a bid for the Gargantuan appendix. Though just out of the ether. Jack went into a huddle with the medico and emerged with $25.00. So if you still have your appendix you'd better have it X-rayed and appraised immediately. Maybe there’s gold in them thar anatomies. Revelations Did You Know . . . that Studio Engineer Larry Dutton once worked in a night club in Cairo, Egypt? . . . that Announcer Les Griffith got a billiard table as a gift from his wife? . . . that Field Engineer Jim Thornberry is an expert movie cameraman, and that he and his colleague, Frank Schnepper, are experimenting with a new film processing? . . . that Announcers Bob Brown and Louis Roen have bought boats and joined the NBC Navy on the Great Lakes? . . . that Boh Kendall of Artists Service used to sell real estate? . . . that Soundman Don Mihan, in addition to putting in a full day’s work as sound technician, is studying law and is about to take his bar exams, and is financial adviser to several wellknown radio personalities? . . . and that a boy, Julian, was born to the Ed Stockmars last month? Named Artists Service Manager James L. Stilton, formerly of NBC in New York and more recently New York representative of James L. Saphier, artists’ agency, has been appointed manager of Artists Service in the Central Division. His appointment becomes effective February 15. He succeeds Alex Robb who was re EXECUTIVE CHANCES IN CENTRAL DIVISION (Continued from page 6) indoor football games and ice carnivals. He brought Sonja Henie to this country for her first exhibition tour. C. L. Menser came to NBC in 1929, joining the production staff in New York after spending a year studying the theatre in Europe. While directing programs in New York in 1930, he brought the Victor series to the air. This was the first program to present standard stage plays and featured stage stars. Mr. Menser also brought the Goldbergs and the Vic and Sade serial to the air. When he came to Chicago, the NBC Chicago studios originated three dramatic broadcasts a week. The Central Division studios now originate more dramatic broadcasts than any other point in America. Before entering radio, Mr. Menser acted and directed on the legitimate stage and served as head of the dramatic departments of the University of Utah and of Knox College, respec lively. He holds degrees from Heidelberg College and the University of Michigan. Jules Herbuveaux, who left McGill University to join the Navy during the World War, was a widely known orchestra leader from 1920 until 1931. He conducted the orchestra on the sec, ond program over KYW in 1921, and he conducted the first NBC broadcast from Chicago in 1927. He recorded for Brunswick for ten years, and was a producer for the Keith-Orpheum circuit in 1924 and 1925. Associated with radio since 1921, he was a musical director of the Central Division in 1930. Leaving the Company, he returned in 1933 as a member of the production staff and became assistant production manager in 1936. Wynn Wright entered radio at WWJ in 1930 as a director. He came to NBC for five months in 1934 as a director, but returned to WWJ to become program manager of that station. He returned to the Central Division again last Summer. cently made manager of Artists Service in Hollywood. Mr. Stirton was with NBC New York from 1929 to 1937. He started in the Company as a messenger in the Mail Room where he stayed a year before he was promoted to Artists Service as a clerk and typist. His progress in that department was rapid and when he resigned from NBC in 1937 to join the Saphier agency he was a talent representative.