Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: WHAS radio station letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: WHAS radio station letters
- Date
- 1930-1931 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.02 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Radio -- History.
- Radio programs
- Arrangement
- The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0116: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: WHAS radio station letters, 1930-1931, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- WHAS is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally assigned the frequency of 35 kHz, their first broadcast was on July 18, 1922. In 1925, WHAS was the first to live broadcast the Kentucky Derby with the announcer watching from one of the twin spires at Churchill Downs. On May 15, 1932, WHAS changed from being an NBC affiliate, joined CBS, and moved from 350 kHz to 820 kHz. Then in 1941, the station moved to its current frequency of 840 AM and became a clear-channel station due to the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement. The station was originally part of the media empire run by the Bingham family of Louisville; however, in 1986, Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) acquired WHAS when the Bingham family sold off their media holdings. With WHAS's clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S. and much of Canada, sometimes even in other countries.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The WHAS radio station letters (dated 1930-1931; 0.02 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprise letters from listeners across the United States at the beginning of the 1930s. The letters are a combination of song requests and fan mail, some listeners express their thanks for playing favorite songs or wonderful compositions and others request specific songs to be played on the next program. Listeners write in from Kentucky, New Jersey, Indiana, New York, and Illinois.
- The WHAS radio station letters are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Fan letters to station, 1930-1931
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
