oaktree said:
And thanks to Wynne, as well. (Wynne Anderson, see below.)
http://www.wdashistory.org/3.html
Bob Klein's (GM) daughter and also "historian" of WDAS Radio, also part of the WDAS News Dept. Also, Max Leon's granddaughter.
I guess, as you may have surmised that Wynne Alexander (Wynne Klein) is my step sister, Bob Klein’s oldest, and as you noted, Max Leons granddaughter. Bob Klein, Max's son-in-law, General Manager, and part owner of WDAS, married my mother after her and Hy divorced. Even before as Hy’s best friend, (that’s another story for another time), Bob and his kids were part of a close family inner circle that dated way back before I was born. Bob was originally married to Max Leon’s daughter. Max was a Jewish immigrant and at the age of 16 came to the US from Poland (Swierze) with a violin, four dimes, and basically a suitcase full of hope. Max ultimately became the general manager of a candy factory at which he began work as a candy breaker. He then became the owner of that same company, the Whole-Sum Products in 1934. They made different types of sweets while inventing marshmallow ice cream for the Breyers Ice Cream Company headquartered in the Grays Ferry section of Philadelphia. He kept the candy factory all during the WDAS days. In fact, the candy company was a major sponsor on WDAS radio. There was many a year in which I heard the ‘Dainty Mints’ commercials on the air, and in the production studio. Dainty Mints was one of the staple nickel sugar product lines manufactured by Whole-Sum Products. Max made a bundle, one nickel at a time, literally. He made millions and in 1943, he founded, financed and conducted "the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra" which was the the prelude to what is now the Philadelphia orchestra.
Saturday afternoons saw Max and his members of the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra practicing on the 4th floor of his candy factory and at the Lorraine Hotel on Broad Street. Max "broadcast" the rehearsal throughout the plant through a loudspeaker system in the production area. During the Second World War, the orchestra played concerts at Army and Navy hospitals, service centers, camps, stations and raised over $6,000,000 in war bond sales. Leon organized it, led it, paid all the bills, and was their conductor. It was his baby. Throughout the years, he continued to conduct the eighty piece Philly Pops with performances at the Academy of Music.
For twenty-nine years, Max M. Leon owned the majority interest in WDAS which he purchased for a half million dollars on October 19, 1950 from William Goldman (a theater chain owner.). WDAS was originally licensed to Ocean City, NJ, Subsequent ownership was retained by retailers Dannenbaum & Steppacher, Thus the call letters "W-D-A-S. Dannenbaum & Steppacher moved the station to Philly where it has remained ever since. Bob Klein, and Leon applied for and was granted a construction permit for an FM station and in 1959, 105.3/WDAS-FM was licensed and came on the air. (105.3 was originally WHAT/FM. 105.3 was abandoned when WHAT-FM moved to 96.5 Mhz. Up until Hy launched Hyski’s underground on WDAS-FM in late 1968, WDAS-FM was Max’s personal playground for the fine arts in Philadelphia. (Coincidentally, Hy was heard on 105.3 when his WHAT/AM radio show was simulcast on WHAT-FM/105.3, in 1954).
Factoid: 1972 WDAS' Bob Klein files a class action suit against the Arbitron rating service on behalf of all black radio stations and proves that black radio listenership was undercounted. Arbitron settles after four days of testimony and amends its methologies and policies.
Factoid: 1968: Bob Klein hires Hy Lit as V.P. and General Manager of WDAS-FM. Hyski’s underground is launched on WDAS FM. Hy also does 1-4 afternoons on WDAS-AM.
Factoid: 1968 The campaign waged by WDAS News against Girard College's "white only" policy is victorious, when US Supreme Court orders that black students be allowed to attend the school.
Factoid: 1967 WDAS personality and Gospel Queen Louise Williams introduce a young gospel singer, Aretha Franklin to Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records... and the rest is music history.
Factoid: 1962 Georgie Woods breaks the Beatles', "Please, Please Me," originally on the African-American owned, Chicago-based Vee-Jay Records label.
Factoid: 1960 Louise Williams hired by Bob Klein to come to WDAS-AM to do gospel. WDAS Charities established to address the needs of the community. WDAS Charities initiates "WDAS Freedom Shows," both Rock n' Roll and gospel concerts that raise money to benefit those in need in the Philadelphia community. John "Lord Fauntleroy" Bandy appointed Assistant General Manager at WDAS, one of the first African-Americans to hold that position in radio nationwide. WDAS commissions further market research and listenership study with E. John Bucci, President Kennedy's chief statistician. WDAS initiates one of the first voter registration drives. WDAS credited with increasing African-American voter registration by mayor of Philadelphia.
Factoid: 1956 Georgie Woods joins "Jocko" Henderson at WDAS-AM.
Factoid: 1953 "Jocko" Henderson hired at WDAS-AM in Philadelphia on October 5th. Georgie Woods hired as an air personality at WHAT-AM after a brief stint at WWRL-AM in New York.
Thanx