You have to be a senior member of our alumni to remember Paul Norton. He was at WTOP from 1956 til 1960, then moved on to Philidelphia where he (now get this!) RETIRED!
Retired from an announcing job? He should be in the Guiness book of World Records!
Paul Norton 1965
Paul Norton 2006
Click HERE for Paul's BIO.
Paul tunes into this website on a regular basis and we email back and forth from time to time. I came to TOP just after he left, but met him at one of our Thurmont events. He edits a newsletter for the Philadelphia equivalent of our group, called THE BROADCAST PIONEERS OF PHILADELPHIA.
I hate to admit it boys and girls, but they are much more organized than we are. My theory is that the Philly market was much more stable than the Washington market and people generally stayed at stations there for the duration, whereas, our people tended to scatter after a few years.
At any rate, tune into their website, THE BROADCAST PIONEERS OF PHILADELPHIA, it's great!
Paul is producer and editor of their newsletter and it is FIRST CLASS!
Here's his latest email:
Hi Lee:
Gerry Wilkinson, a member, has been doing the Pioneer's site since it started.
He's the only one that knew how, I think.
I was with WTOP from 1956 to 1960. Don Richards, Don Gaynor, Step,
Julian, Eddie Gallaher, Dalton, John Trimble, Ted Miller, Charley Hughes
etc. were there. It was a wonderful time to be at 'TOP.
My bio is on the Pioneer's website and Gerry has arranged for all of
these to be accessed by putting our name in Google. It may prompt
questions, and I'll be happy to answer them.
Neil Strawser who recently died was there as was George Herman, Bill
Shadel, and even Murrow would come periodically. Robert Montgomery would
come to make arrangements for Eisenhower's appearances, and if it was for a
speech Robert and Mamie would sit just off the set and observe. Step
usually announced and I would watch with him in the announce booth.
Good times. I also finished my degree at Georgetown while there, studying
in the booth, drinking beer and eating crabs brought in for commercials. My
wife was pregnant with our second child when I graduated in 1959. My whole
gang, of 5, is going to Japan, Osaka, for the youngest son's wedding in
April and will spend two weeks there sight seeing.
I do go on, don't I?
All the best,
Paul Norton
