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CLASS FORUMS

 

Forum: Teachers

TOPIC: 

Radio Speech

Created on: 07/05/09 06:00 PM Views: 1440 Replies: 3
Radio Speech
Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 01:00 PM

This might be a no brainer for anyone else that took Radio Speech  but I think I took the class in my senior year (another tough elective). Radio Speech was taught by a young guy that I believe was a student teacher. He also worked as a local DJ but I had never listened to him on the radio. He was a nice guy, had a great smile and was fun to chat with. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I went to the Detroit Historical Museum and while viewing a display of past Detroit radio and TV personalities I realized my Radio Speech teacher had become the nationaly sindicated DJ and entertainer Kasey Kasem

Am I the only one that didn't know our teacher was Kasey Kasem?   

 

 
Edited 07/05/09 01:13 PM
RE: Radio Speech
Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 03:05 PM

I took radio speech but I think it was before I was a senior. Mildred Lipe was the radio speech teacher and she was also the sponsor of WRBG. And then Margaret (Peggy) Cully taught radio speech and was our sponsor I think. I was in WRBG for a couple of years. I don't recall having Casey at a WRBG meeting (if he was teaching radio speech that would have been natural).  Miss Lipe and Mrs Cully are listed in our 1959 Blazer but Casey is not.

I do not remember any student teachers in high school let alone Casey Kasem. (His real name is Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem. He would have been around 27 in 1959). Steve has a better memory from high school.... maybe he'll remember Casey. Casey's bio does not have any mention of him being a teacher.

We do remember listening to Casey maybe on Sunday night for the top 40?

I agree that it's kinda of neat to think that Casey was at Redford in 1959. Maybe we should send him an invite to our Reunion! 

 

Ken Kelsey
Redford59 Webmaster
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see my blog at Promoman.com

 
RE: Radio Speech
Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 11:12 AM

 

He did start his career at WJBK in the mid-50' s so the timeline is correct.  One would suspect that a new DJ in Detroit in mid-50's would need additional income and where better than at Redford High.

 

 
Edited 07/09/09 05:00 AM
RE: Radio Speech
Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 08:55 PM

I sort of remember it as Ken does. Of course, I took Radio Speech before our senior year so he could have been around later. But I don't remember him. I have fond memories though of Mildred Lipe -- she was a real person and a inspiring teacher. I seem to remember that her daughter was also a Redford student. One of the great things about Radio Speech and WRBG it that you got to skip classes to participate in the school activities and downtown at WDTR (or was it WDET?) radio studios. I started doing that at Edison and loved every minute of it right through high school. Some of us were privileged enough to be a part of the transition to TV at what is now WTVS in which Mrs. Lipe was very involved and even taught a literature course city wide on the station.  A girl from Mumford and I did the very first live TV drama -- Anton Chekhov's "The Boor". Of course virtually nobody could see it since the station broadcast on UHF (Channel 26) and very few sets were equipped to receive UHF in those days. I remember my family had to gather at my grandmother's house to watch it as she was one of the few people who had a VHF set. 

Great memories. Now if we could just get Dwight to attend the reunion we could enjoy them together and settle this issue once and for all.