Radio mirror (July-Dec 1947)

DL FABULOUS Congratulations from WJR President "Dick" Richards who gave Harry his first small spot in big-time radio. 1 ■ TWKk I ■■■ p fs wSm 1 1' 9 ^ 1 •f tI Since last January ABC Sports Director Harry Wismer has been Assistant to the Presidents of WJR, WGAR and KMPC. The Pirates beat the Tigers on a golf course in Detroit when owner Crosby triumphed over owner Briggs. 1.1 64 HERE is a tale of an athletic star who became physically handicapped and was forced to stop all competitive athletics — and then rose to the top of his highly competitive profession in a remarkably short time. On January 1st, 1947, when he was named assistant to the president of three powerful stations. . . . But first our athletic story. Back in 1934, Michigan State College buzzed with speculation on how the new coach, Charley Bachman, and a freshman quarterback he was bringing with him would affect Spartan grid prospects. The fraternity boys said, "He must be good; he's the only one Bachman took with him." One of the athletes remarked: "I remember Wismer at St. Johns. He's plenty hot. He made all-prep school quarterback and starred in varsity basketball, baseball, and tennis." However, at fall practice, Harry Wismer, the coach's highly touted freshman star, started having trouble. Undercurrent whisperings said he was a great grid general and could pass like a dream, but he was allergic to body contact. Even a backfield coach taunted: "That block may have been great stuff at St. Johns, but it will never help us beat Michigan." One day after scrimmage, a fraternity brother, Lou Zarza, found him holding his leg and wincing with pain. Harry finally confided that a leg injury had bothered him ever since the start of fall practice. At first, he thought it was only temporary, but it had stayed with him right along. Lou urged him to see a doctor — and that's when the bottom dropped out of his athletic world. The "little" leg trouble turned out to be a malicious growth on the femur that became inflamed upon the slightest contact, results of an injury sustained playing for Florida Gator freshmen against Georgia. To remove the growth required a dangerous operation that might cripple him for life. The doctor urged that he stop athletics at once. This created a problem . . . Harry was in school on an athletic scholarship and augmenting his income by being Bachman's secretary. He had to be worth his salt to the athletic department and decided to take up sports writing on the college paper. If he couldn't play football or baseball, at least he would write about it. He became sports editor of the college paper and when the college radio station decided to broadcast sports, Harry got the assignment. He was a natural — he understood all angles of sports and was gifted with confidence and a fine radio voice. He liked radio and decided to leave school to seek the glamor and fortune of big-time announcing. He applied for his first job with Detroit's largest station, WJR, and was turned down because of inexperience. However, undismayed, he returned the next day and insisted on an interview with the president. He told President "Dick" Richards that all he needed to become the nation's leading sportscaster was a chance and that in two years he would be another Graham McNamee. Richards liked his nerve and gave him his first big-time start on a small-time scale. On his first assignment, he was the first announcer on in the morning and the last to sign off at night. But this didn't last long. Soon he was announcing the Detroit Lions' games as the Cub Reporter. Then another good break came when he landed the Inside of Sports and Meet the Missus programs. He worked day and night and attended all important sports events. He continued to meet many important personalities of the sports world. Each day his star kept rising.