Fall 1946
Lucille Ruby Woodard becomes radio program director.
Lucile Ruby Woodard, former LSU Professor Emeritus of Speech and WLSU Program Director, speaks about the beginnings of the radio station and her involvement with Dr. Joseph Brouillette, Dr. Harley Smith, and Ralph Steetle.
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JACK FISER: Tell me about the job that you came into when they started the station here. What was here at the time?
LUCILE WOODARD: Well, I don't know just exactly what the date was. But when they started radio at LSU, Harley Smith worked with the Speech Department and with the General Extension Division. It's now Continuing Education, but at that time it was called General Extension under Dr. [Joseph W.] Brouillette. Harley and Dr. Brouillette had been working in developing this area of radio. One of Harley's students was Ralph Steetle. So after Harley left, Ralph took over and went full time with the General Extension Division in developing radio.
I came here when the thousand-watt FM station was in the planning stage. I was brought here as Program Director of that FM station. I wore two hats. I taught half-time in the Speech Department . . . broadcasting courses in the Speech Department. Then I was half-time with General Extension in production as Program Director of the radio station. So that's how I came to Louisiana.
FISER: Well, you were here a while working under Steetle at the radio station.
WOODARD: Yes. Yes.
FISER: I was around at that time then, too. I remember Steetle very well. I think he was a Midwesterner. He was from Ohio, or something.
WOODARD: He was from Ohio.
FISER: And later became head of educational television for the state of Oregon.
WOODARD: That's right.
FISER: He's now retired from there. Tell me some of the problems that you faced in those days . . . Very little help, I'm sure.
WOODARD: Well, of course, there were a number of universities who had radio stations at that time. They were AM stations. I worked with the one at the University of Iowa when I was there. Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State College, now Iowa State University, Illinois . . . were some that just come to my mind that had operating AM stations at that time. But LSU . . . Baton Rouge did not have an AM frequency available at that time for an AM station for education. So when FM frequencies were set aside for the universities and other educational institutions, they decided that LSU should have such a station. That was when Ralph and Dr. Brouillette started building one.
Lucile Ruby Woodard, former LSU Professor Emeritus of Speech and WLSU Program Director, speaks about the beginnings of the radio station and her involvement with Dr. Joseph Brouillette, Dr. Harley Smith, and Ralph Steetle.
View Transcript
JACK FISER: Tell me about the job that you came into when they started the station here. What was here at the time?
LUCILE WOODARD: Well, I don't know just exactly what the date was. But when they started radio at LSU, Harley Smith worked with the Speech Department and with the General Extension Division. It's now Continuing Education, but at that time it was called General Extension under Dr. [Joseph W.] Brouillette. Harley and Dr. Brouillette had been working in developing this area of radio. One of Harley's students was Ralph Steetle. So after Harley left, Ralph took over and went full time with the General Extension Division in developing radio.
I came here when the thousand-watt FM station was in the planning stage. I was brought here as Program Director of that FM station. I wore two hats. I taught half-time in the Speech Department . . . broadcasting courses in the Speech Department. Then I was half-time with General Extension in production as Program Director of the radio station. So that's how I came to Louisiana.
FISER: Well, you were here a while working under Steetle at the radio station.
WOODARD: Yes. Yes.
FISER: I was around at that time then, too. I remember Steetle very well. I think he was a Midwesterner. He was from Ohio, or something.
WOODARD: He was from Ohio.
FISER: And later became head of educational television for the state of Oregon.
WOODARD: That's right.
FISER: He's now retired from there. Tell me some of the problems that you faced in those days . . . Very little help, I'm sure.
WOODARD: Well, of course, there were a number of universities who had radio stations at that time. They were AM stations. I worked with the one at the University of Iowa when I was there. Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State College, now Iowa State University, Illinois . . . were some that just come to my mind that had operating AM stations at that time. But LSU . . . Baton Rouge did not have an AM frequency available at that time for an AM station for education. So when FM frequencies were set aside for the universities and other educational institutions, they decided that LSU should have such a station. That was when Ralph and Dr. Brouillette started building one.
