What Could He Have Said ?
 

Among the recent finds in the Thomas Cowan papers at the University of Wyoming is a May 24, 1949 letter from WNYC Director Seymour N. Siegel to Gerald E. Martin of Orangeburg, New York. Siegel writes:

"All of our collective ears at WNYC are somewhat reddened by your note of May 23rd. I am passing your letter on to our entire staff with the sincere hope that there will be a definite improvement in some of the presentations that you mention.

"The announcer to whom you refer is Mr. Thomas Cowan, who is the oldest* announcer in radio broadcasting. All of our announcers are appointed on the basis of competitive civil service examinations...

"...All I can do is to ask you to forgive us our sins, and I hope that you will witness a distinct improvement in the not too distant future. In closing, let me say that I am personally grateful for the spirit which prompted you to write, and I hope you will continue to remain one of our regular listeners..."

*Editor's note: While Tommy Cowan wasn't the oldest announcer in broadcasting, he was certainly one of the oldest. Before coming to WNYC, Tommy began his career with WJZ, the New York metropolitan area's first commercially licensed station. Read more at: Radio Pioneer Tommy Cowan Announces a Parade of History.