Jean Shepherd, noted radio
personality, to be 'RTI guest
No Byline given
Thursday, May 7, 1964
The Temple News
Mike Muderick reports... Jerry Rosset said that Shepherd questioned "we continue to teach radio drama." This upset Dr. Dusenbury and Rosset remembers Dr. D. walking out of the banquet. Kenn Venit said in an e-mail, As I recall, I placed the publicity article in the News, based on the bio Jean provided to WRTI.
We were all in awe of Shepherd that night at the banquet. (It took place at a nice restaurant off the Wissahickon Drive in what was then an high-rise apartment house.) He was introduced with his theme music playing. The one thing I remember about his speech was how he said "radio drama is dead."
That did not sit well with Dr. Del Dusenbury, who taught the radio drama course. There was shock in the room. Shepherd went on to say that what he does is the real "radio drama." Basically, he described himself as a storyteller. Afterward, he signed autographs, chatted, and showed himself to be a very friendly guy who just happened to be brilliant.
Surely, someone taped that speech!
Article from the collection of Mike Biel
This is the WRTI Old Gang Web Site