Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Career Academy School of Famous Broadcasters

I found these two LPs at a flea market. They both had identical sleeves, only the labels differ. Pictured on the jackets are Howard Miller, John Cameron Swayze, Robert St. John, Ulmer Turner, Fran Allison, Westbrook Van Voorhis, and Earl Gillespie.

I had no idea who any of these people were, but according to the jacket they were all famous. I have two of the LPs and The Transmitter, the newsletter of Library of American Broadcasting here tells me there are a total of 36 LPs in the series.
"St. John’s work as the Dean of the Directing Faculty of the Career Academy Division of Famous Broadcasters is represented by thirty-six LP records containing home study lessons and a copy of his textbook Encyclopedia of Radio and Television Broadcasting (The Man Behind the Microphone)."
Side A disc one was the program introduction. which told me that Robert St. John was the dean. He was born in 1902,and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 16 he lied about his age and enlisted in World War I. Upon returning home he enrolled at Trinity College where eventually he was expelled over an article he wrote for the Hartford Courant. He later became a writer for the Chicago Daily News and co-founded the Cicero Tribune. Al Capone bought out his partner and mobsters beat and hospitalized him over an anti-gangster article.

He survived the ordeal and he started working for the AP as a war correspondent in the Balkans. But AP writers were not allowed to publish books, so he secured a job at NBC Radio. We heard his voice on NBC on D-day, he stayed in the studio for 117 hours. He was fired from NBC for merely being mentioned in "Red Channels" an anti-communist mag. He had been using them as a source for one of his books. It didn't' stop him, he wrote another twenty books and used whatever sources he damn well pleased. He died in 2003 at the age of 101. It seems impossible he'd have had the time to be the dean of anything. But then I found a single collaborating reference.

Gary Knapp wrote the book "Building the American Dream".
"The mock broadcast studio at the school even had it's own call letters and was referred to as WCAB radio, named after Career Academy of Broadcasting, and used to identify our school station. the academy had both morning and afternoon classes; I was in the morning session. ...We were informed our school had a prestigious board of directors made of such dignitaries as Robert St. John, a world famous news correspondent for NBC news, an advertising expert John Cameron, Swayze from the famous TV watch commercial, (it takes a licking and keeps on ticking), and children's host Fran Allison from Kulka Fran and Ollie, to name a few. our Class got to meet Robert St. John one day as he stopped by the class on new journalism and he signed our broadcast textbooks. "
That's an affirmative. Knapp goes on to describe other visits by St. John and other staffers, field trips to the FCC and his later employment at KGPC. Other students that I've found include authors Robert Lewanski and Robert Zuraw. Jimmy Jet from KYA-AM, Rick Thomas of Kissin' Country and Elijah Mondy of KJIW-FM all were also graduates.

For a broadcasting school that apparently had branches in half a dozen cities that seems like a small crop. There's a lot more to this mystery. If any reader knows more, feel free to enlighten me.

212 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:21 PM

    Jose, I recognized the record. I still have the text. I attended C.A. in Houston in 68.We went half day. Yes we had a pretend station but what I remember most were the boothe we sat in and listened to the Lp's. There was a home study course available. One morning Mr. St.John did make an appearance at our school. Westbrook Vanvoorhis was anchor of"Time marches on"
    I was allowed to leave a few weeks before school ended because I had secured a job at a local station in Louisiana.(Thanks to a friend of the owner.)I wore my C.A. blazer around and i'm sure the old timers got tired of me in a hurry.
    Any questions?I'll try to answer. Thad H. Carter

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    1. Anonymous7:25 PM

      I attended CA broadcasting school in Hollywood, CA. Earned an FCC Class 3 license and graduated #1 in my class! My first job was at KSID in Sidney, NE, then KTTT in Columbus, NE, and moved on to WOW/KEZO and KVNO in Omaha. The radio jobs helped pay my way through college, both bachelor's and master's degrees. I retired from the teaching profession at the age of 66, but remember CA fondly and felt it offered excellent training.

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  2. Anonymous5:23 PM

    Jose, I recognized the record. I still have the text. I attended C.A. in Houston in 68.We went half day. Yes we had a pretend station but what I remember most were the boothe we sat in and listened to the Lp's. There was a home study course available. One morning Mr. St.John did make an appearance at our school. Westbrook Vanvoorhis was anchor of"Time marches on"
    I was allowed to leave a few weeks before school ended because I had secured a job at a local station in Louisiana.(Thanks to a friend of the owner.)I wore my C.A. blazer around and i'm sure the old timers got tired of me in a hurry.
    Any questions?I'll try to answer. Thad H. Carter

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  3. Where do I begin! Where was the school? How many schools were there? Do you have a scan of the text book? Does the school still exist in any form? If not when did it close? There's literally no written history available on this apparently large learning institution.

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    1. Bob Morton9:11 PM

      Jose, there were schools all over. Although I live a little over an hour from Columbus, OH, I chose the Milwaukee, WI school. I attended starting around September of 1968 and finished in early 1969. It was a real experience! Being away from home for the first time. In Milwaukee, yet. I lived in an apartment on W. Wisconsin Ave. with 3 other guys. Life was like 1 big party! I wish I could find some of my old classmates/roommates. In our unit was Johnnie Walker, Phil Ingraro, and Dale Larsen. Dale was from Wisconsin, a farm boy if I remember correctly, and he slept with the windows open in the dead of winter. John was from Utica, NY, and Phil was from NY also, I believe.
      I remember that Career Academy also had a Medical Assistant and Dental Tech. programs. I still have an ash tray made of dental material that someone made.
      After graduation, I was able to get a job at a real small station in northern Ohio. I started out as a DJ. It was a middle of the road station and I couldn't play any rock music of the time. I think Mason Williams "Classical Gas" was as risque as I got. I later was the News Director. Truth is, I was the only person in the news department after the regular guy left. But what passed for news in that little town was laughable. They had no real crime or good stuff, so I spent a good part of the program reading the list of people who were in the local hospital. that and the farm reports. Still can't hear a butcher hog price without cracking a smile.
      After all that, once I turned 21 I embarked on a career in Law Enforcement that lasted just shy of 30 years. But I'll never forget Career Academy, Milwaukee, or our brief trip to Chicago to take the test.

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  4. Anonymous8:42 PM

    There were schools scattered over the country including Houston, Indianapolis, K.C. etc.
    My school in Houston was on Pierce St. We were in with a Dental tech school, which I believe was a part of C.A. John Cameron Swayze did Timex watch commercials for years. “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Ulmer turner was a broadcaster. Howard Miller was a D.J. on WIND. Van Voorhis did March of Time. Ted Williams was also on the board.
    The cost was about $1,500.00 for the three month course. They helped find each graduate a job. We sent out tapes to a bunch of stations and usually someone would respond. If you got a job making $85 a week you were doing very well. I started for $65 at KJEF in Jennings, Louisiana in 1968.
    The instructor was insulting. He had been a drill sergeant and it showed. He humiliated me verbally and I was already a shy kid so I was anxious to get away as soon as possible.
    One student was outstanding. He landed a job at about $140 a week so he was set for life. In the 60’s radio paid nothing. I knew guys working for a top 40 Gulf coast am listened to by everyone (55 share) and my starting salary was $100 at KLOU in 1969. This caused one fellow to ask why I was getting so much money just to start.
    The schools have been gone at least 25 years. Lots of pleasant memories.
    I’m a minister in the United Methodist Church and a writer. Latest book is “Download Faith, Not Fear” available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon. I recall the old days fondly. I do a weekly five minute devotional on KNEO FM.
    Thad H. Carter

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  5. Anonymous12:50 PM

    Jose,
    I was just sifting through some old papers I unearthed during a move we were making and found my graduation certificate from Career Academy in Toronto.

    It was 1969 and I think it may have been the only campus in Canada. From a young age I was always a sports nut, listening to various broadcasts from the U.S. late at night when I was supposed to be sleeping...WBZ in Boston sticks out in my mind for the Celtics and Bruins in the early and mid 60's.

    And as a young canadian growing up there was Hockey Night in Canada on the radio and later TV. It was my dream to become a sportscaster and after high school, I talked my mother into letting me enroll in CA instead of University.

    Imagine a shy and introverted 17 year old from a small village of 500 people going to live on his own in a city the size of Toronto...and downtown no less.

    We also went a half day and the school also had a medical technician class running at the same time. We spent most of the time listening to the records and practising what we learned on the school's internal radio station which broadcast only on that one floor of the building.

    I and another student who was also very interested in sports were able to gain access to the press box in Maple Leaf Gardens. We were allowed to broadcast Sunday afternoon games of the Junior A marlboros onto a tape machine for our instructors. That was definitely a highlight for me. If I recall, the course lasted approx 6 months and there was a lot of assistance in preparing audition tapes but only the best of the students were given much help in securing interviews for employment.

    I eventually did some play by play broadcasting for a local cable station as a volunteer but that is as far as I ventured into the radio world. The fellow I went with to MLG eventually found an on air position with TSN the Canadian equivalent of ESPN. I don't think he's there now. Another grad co owns a station in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. That is as far as I've progressed in my Google searches for old classmates.

    We also had a visit or two from some of the famous names but I don't recall which they were.

    Earl Gillespie was a famous Milwaukee sportscasting personality. Here in Canada, Earl Cameron was also prominently advertised as a member of the board.

    As Thad mentioned the schools have been gone for many years. I think the average class sizes were 20 to 25 in each of the morning and afternoon sessions and they had four annually in Toronto, so there must be many more grads out there.

    I'll bookmark this page and let you know if I find anything more.

    Bill Sheridan
    Guelph, Ont

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  6. Anonymous1:08 PM

    I was a home study with the thirty-two records and a fancy tape recorder (that I still have). I got half-way through the couse but the "instructors" were extremely crude and critical. Since I was also studying from Germany where I had been posted unfortunately my enthusiasm lagged behind my efforts. Often wondered how things could have turned out if I had completed the course work.

    any comments.

    Thom Powers

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  7. Yep. 1969. I was there. Senior Instructor was a man named Larry Russell and the other instructor was Glen Lay. The latter was also a night D. J. at KRBE.

    I have often wondered whatever happened to..... everybody.

    I have been in broadcasting since 1969.

    Anybody else out there?
    Pat Lynchl

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    1. Hello I was there at the Houston branch in 1970 with Larry Russell we covered a Apollo launch and I had a picture and autograph from Neil Armstrong of course don’t know what happened to the autograph maybe Mr Russell has a copy?

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  8. I am now retired from a rewarding career as a broadcast journalist, which started in February, 1969, at Career Academy's Division of Famous Broacasters in Toronto, Canada. It was a class act all the way. It boasted what was, at the time, state of the art equipment, and the course was very intensive. Instructors were tough on us, mostly because that's the way things were in real radio stations in Canada at the time . . . quite autocratic. Their job was to teach us enough to get an entry level on air job at an actual station. I learned the news business on the job -- the so-called "school of hard knocks". If nothing else, Career Academy taught me how to speak. Before I went there, I spoke like a Canadian hoser, eh. The Canadian operation was overseen by Larry Henderson, who had been the original anchorman for the CBC National News (now "The National"), the Canadian equivalent of the CBS Evening News.
    Career Academy had other divisions, too: dental assistants and medical assistants, who we called "the nurses". They would use some of us to practice taking blood, which was fine because one could usually get a date out of the deal. At the time, community colleges were just getting started, and there was really no other place to go for broadcast training. There were a couple of other private outfits, but nowhere near the same calibre as Career Academy.

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    1. Mark Adams9:46 AM

      Did you ever know an instructor named Lez Harrison??

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  9. Does anyone know how or exactly when it closed up shop? With the LPs and the books and the blazers it sound slike such a large institution. I just can't imagine it folding up.

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  10. Anonymous8:08 AM

    I attended C.A. in in 1973 at the Atlanta Campus. I still have "The Man Behind the Mike". I still read it occaisionally. It describes a time in broadcasting when things were much less complicated. I got a job and have been in radio for 35 years

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  11. Clark, thanks for that tidbit. Do you remember where in Atlanta that school was located? Or do you have pictures?

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    1. the school was located at 2045 peachtree road, I took a course there in 1968, Dan Rotundo was the instructor

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  12. Anonymous4:16 PM

    It was in a bank building of some sort. I lived in Buckhead and the school wasn't far away. There was also some sort of dental school. I think the students were learning to make dentures. My instructor's name was Jim Robinson. Among other sations, he had worked at WSB. At the time he owned an ad agency.

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    1. Anonymous2:02 AM

      Jan 1966 I believe my adventure began after stopping by the nearby krystal before going to class. As a country boy from deep South Alabama I remember being in shock like some of the fellows on the Andy Griffith reruns. Yep, I recall it was a serious school. I recall the speech sessions and still have the exercise sheets. I was an almost lost cause in speech class. Imagine me trying to read Sergei Rachmaninoff or Ludwig van Beethoven names in a low voice classical tone. Give me some Hank, some country names, nope. I laugh now remembering. I also remember they had a live TV camera for us to look toward when trying to do weather, news, sports. Really enjoyed looking
      and listen to one lady we had in class. Her looks and speech was perfect. I believe we used two Gray turntable and a Collins Board. Seems like you had to cue one record, have one playing, be ready to do a live commercial with and without music as well as to the news to the second of the hour and half hour, plus program and transmitter logs. Oh yes we to write and try to sell our commercial to the class. Believe I received a Pratical Certificate. Yep the country boy was hired in a South GA town and spun records on 3,000 KW Country Station. Had FUN! Got a better job at 5,000 KW in the FL panhandle until one afternoon. Dear Uncle Sam Letter arrived inviting me to the Vietnam War. I quickly choose USN. Recruiter promised I would receive a Journalist code if I completed bootcamp. I did. As a result I believe if I had not had that training I would be pushing up daisies. Found this site because I was checking if school was an accredited one or a vocational school. Had no idea it became a correspondence course. I carry the training with me to this day.

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    2. Yep! As you say, "the man from south Alabama". Been there, done that...some. I also went to the Atlanta location. That was in the summer of 1970. I didn't apply myself too well in those days of my school gears before C.A. so, Career Academy was in that same mode for me...doomed for some failure. Wish I had made it.
      My "beginnings" of going into a field of broadcasting was about the latter parts of the 1960's via listening to two or three radio stations I'd pick up on my AM radios from Indianapolis: WBZ from Boston with Dick Sommers a disc jockey; WLS & WCFL in Chicago. The radio ads about intrigued me to attempt on being a D.J. or auto racing sportscaster like the late great Sid Collins, who did for over 25 years the Indy 500 radio broadcast. So...after graduation from high school in Indy I went to Atlanta and it was my very first time being away from home. I was homesick within a few weeks. I withdrew from the Atlanta radio school and tried to finish up at home in the C.A. home study course...which I didn't for reasons.
      Wish I had kept all my course material. One thing I did love ( and, it was well made and trust worthy) was the Panasonic reel to reel recorder I had till 1984. I still have the hardback book from author/founder, Robert St. John. Got his signature in it when he stopped by to visit his Atlanta "branch school" that summer of '70. Also...somewhere in my collections, I have an autograph of the famous radio/movie/TV star, Vincent Price. He came by for a day's taping of an upcoming TV special about the famous Bermuda Triangle.
      I know these replies were made back in 2007. I just came across this website today (8-21-2021) after checking out what I could find about Career Academy. At times, I think about old C.A. and my Atlanta days and wonder, whatever happened to those "future broadcasters ".

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  13. I recognize the logo on the record, but not the jacket. I was at C.A. in Columbus Ohio in 1968 I think. Fond memories. I would dearly love to find some classmates.
    Tom Williams

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    1. I graduated from C.A. in Columbus in 1968. Dennis Konkler

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    2. I was there in 1969

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  14. This is rapidly becoming my favorite post ever. Have you considered starting a Yahoo Group, or something similar? There are hundreds, possibly thousands of students from that school out there.

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  15. Anonymous8:16 AM

    The C-A school in Atlanta was located at 2045 Peachtree Rd NE, near Piedmont Hospital. The building is still there and used mostly for medical. In February-March 1967 graduation was at the Biltmore Hotel. Most of the students lived at Amherst Hall at 136 8th St in Atlanta, near the Fox Theatre. If any one can confirm..the star student in this class, may have been actor Gary Sandy. The main instructor was Jim Robinson who had worked at WSB FM..along with two other instructors. The schools were located in Atlanta, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Washington DC, New York Etc. There were both morning and afternoon classes with about 20 in each session. They were pumping out grads..before colleges offered big programs,and there was small market job placement all over the country. There must be thousands of grads who are now in their 50's,60's. The schools were backed-endorced by former big name broadcasters.

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  16. Anonymous2:27 PM

    I went to the Medical Tech. branch of Career Academy in Atlanta. One of the things that was unique in 1965 is that you stayed with a family in the area if you were out of state or out of the area. you stayed with them for free in return for being sort of a nanny for their kids. I was from New York and transfered to the New York City school when I got so home sick from being so many miles from home. In Atlanta I had my first Dr Pepper.

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  17. Jose, I graduated from Career Academy's Boston location. It was located on Brookline Ave in the Same structure as Fenway Park.

    They had several courses, one for Broadcasting and another for Medical Assistants. Mine was the first class to graduate from the Boston location. If you have any specific questions, you can respond and I will get the e-mail.

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  18. Can you remember what year that was?

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  19. To Jose: Yes, the year I was there was from Fall of 1968 and graduation was in early 1969.

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  20. Anonymous5:42 PM

    I went to Career Academy in Columbus Ohio in 1967. There was the broadcast school and the medical assistance program in the building located across from the Capital building in downtown Columbus. Like some of the comments here I also lived in a private home with a family in exchange for childcare when I wasn't in school or studying. The school placed students with the families. Are there any other '67 grads from Columbus out there?

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  21. I'm still hoping sombody has a picture out there of students, a class, classroom or teachers.

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  22. Tom Pearse8:00 PM

    I attended Career Academy in Columbus, Ohio from the fall of 1968 to January of 1969. The school was located on High St. in the down town area, I believe. There were also girls attending Career Academy's nursing school at the same school. Sadly we just didn't get the chance to get to know any of those young ladies. The school had a morning class and an afternoon class. My friend Bill Graham and I were in the afternoon class. The late 1960's were an incredible time to be living, especially in a City like Columbus, Ohio. With everything going on like the Viet Nam war, the war protests, and the "hippie" movements it made Columbus all the more exciting! It was an experience and a time one could never forget!! We had two instructors for our class. One with dark hair and a slightly younger one with blond hair. We also had an assistant instructor that was actually a student in the previous class. The instructors were firm and the class was hard, to say the least. If my memory is correct, failing a test was a big deal, and we had tests almost every day!! The instructor with the blond hair actually turned out to be a really great guy, and the assistant instructor became a good friend and someone you could party with on the weekends. I vaguely recall a guy in our class by the name of Tom Williams. I can't find my class photo so I can't say for sure. If he is who I think he is, it's great to see that there are still some of us around from our class! Like Tom I have been looking for anything I could find to help me remember names of the classmates that I attended with so I could reconnect.. It would be great to be able to talk with Rick, Perry, Bill Graham, and John "Yohannis" Gunia again! (John actually moved back to New York with me for a while after graduation). After a short time he moved back home to Punxsatawny, PA. and that was the last I saw of him. I didn't end up going into the broadcasting business after school. I was offered a job in my home of Rochester, NY at WSAY but the pay just wasn't there, so I took a job with 3M Company in Rochester. Now I'm in customer service working with people arriving in Rochester by air. I still get flight crew members and guests once in a while that live in Columbus. The school isn't there any more, and sadly, most have never even heard of it.

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    1. Sounds like those two instructors could have been Tom Breznick and Dick Chamberlain. They worked part-time then in evenings for WBNS channel 10 TV.

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    2. Hello All.I graduated from CA Columbus, Oh. in September 1968.I remember Breznick & Chamberlain.
      With my audition tape in hand I got a weekend news reporter job 30 miles away. It turned into 15 years as News Director along with being hired as principal booth announcer for NBC4 in Columbus. A position I held for 19 years. My media world turned to video production in the early 80's and lasted some 33 years with documentaries airing on PBS affiliates around the U.S. I was thankful for the opportunities CA offered. I'm writing a memoir for my kids to read someday and came across this site doing research.

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    3. Also graduated in 1968. When I was there Mr. Breznick got to work at the PGA tournament at Scioto Country Club one weekend. Was excited that he met Jack Nicklaus that weekend. There was also a Punxsutawney student in my class, "Groovin" Dave Gorman.

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  23. I attended the Toronto School, and graduated in 1969. It was located on the 8th floor of the Royal Bank Building at the corner of Yonge and King Streets. Besides Larry Henderson, Danny Gallivan and Percy Saltzman were involved. Danny was for many years the voice of the Montreal Canadians Hockey Team and Percy was a CBC weather man. Three instructors took care of our classes: Bill Kemp who used to appear on Wayne and Shuster programs, Al Brooks, a former graduate who stayed on as an instructor, and Bud Binney who was also an actor. It was a tough course, but rewarding. I only worked in broadcasting for a couple of years but have credited that time and the Career Academy training with being the base of my communications skills which have given me a long and rewarding career in public service. I still keep in touch with some of my classmates even after 40 years.

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  24. Is anybody still watching this blog? I have more info concerning
    Career Academy - mine in Washington D.C.
    Bob Jump Norfolk, VA
    bob@bobjump.com
    bobjumpvoice@gmail.com
    www.bobjump.com
    www.therightvoicenow.com
    www.cowboyvoice.com

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    1. Bob, I too went to Career Academy for Dental Assistant in Washington D.C in the fall of 1967. There were several of us who lived on Wisconsin Ave at McLean Gardens. On several occasions we got a ride from a guy named Bob who one of the girls (Nancy) called cowboy Bob. He drove a convertible, could that have been you?

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    2. Hi Rita! No, sorry, not me. Cowboy Bob is a stage name only in my VO career. I was in fall '68 in DC. But, the memories are STILL with me. Hope you are well and sorry for this very late reply.

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  25. New info is always welcome. This post gets hits almost every day.

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  26. 41 years ago, I attended CA’s 1968 Fall Class in Washington, DC - 333 Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown. And I still remember a lot of it – which is incredible, really, because I can’t even remember to pick up milk and eggs for the wife. After reading some of the blog, I found it interesting that one of the three instructors mentioned at another CA school was like a drill sergeant – hmmmmmm, my DC school had one of those, too – a guy named Gary Blevins from WHOT Radio, Youngstown, OH. Blevins and I got alone fine, but for the rest of the class, it was either love the guy or hate the s.o.b. The second instructor was a real mellow older man named Tony Phillips. The third instructors’ last name was Sloniker, Sloniger or Sloneker, maybe. Real tall, dude…he wasn’t there a lot. All the schools, I’m sure, were set up the same. Of course, the most fun was at the end of those boring as hell album lessons in the booth when afterwards, we got behind the mic in the infamous Cab Lab studio to spin records and give the time and temperature over and over again. Yeah, we were a talented lot in those days. Speaking of lab, the lab girls were plentiful and were easy to meet as they roamed the same hallways as we did. I remember that we even had a hayride out in the burbs of Maryland with them that ended up at a campsite for a cookout and beer. Those WERE the days, my friend. Like a lot of the pre-jocks, we all dated the dental techs and had a lot of fun for those many months. I left about five weeks early because their job placement system worked very well. It’s a shame really – I would have loved those last five weeks there. That gig, my first, landed me in Suffolk, VA (Hampton Roads Market) at a whopping $90 bucks a week…soon to grow to a fat $120 after the first month IF I worked out. By the way….none of us got the chance to meet John Cameron Swayze, Fran Allison or the deep, round-toned West BROOK Van VOR HEEEEEES ! Gosh, could we all end up sounding like him, someday? Thanks, God….we didn’t. In closing, I’m looking for a few guys I connected with but lost track of. As I understand, people hit this site daily. So, if anyone knows how to contact Rick Freihofer or Friehoffer (last known whereabouts Michigan) please get in touch with me at 757 715 5867. As I get more feedback from you, I’ll have more on CA down the road. I was 18 and full of piss and vinegar back in those days. I can’t tell you how much I really enjoyed that part of my life.
    Bob Jump
    bob@bobjump.com
    bobjumpvoice@gmail.com
    www.bobjump.com
    www.therightvoicenow.com
    www.cowboyvoice.com

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    1. Bob, I was at CC in fall of 1967. Do you remember a girl named Nancy who you used to give a ride to school? She called you cowboy Bob. That Bob, drove a convertible.

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    2. Hi again, Rita. No, not the guy in the convertible.

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  27. Every time one of the CAFB graduates posts a comment I feel more like there's a book in all this...

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  28. I went to CA in Atlanta from June through October 1970. The bank building was Mutual Of New York or MONY as was posted on a big sign on top of the building, also at street level, there was an electronic sign that kept updating the population of Atlanta. The 2 instructors I remember were Jack Cooney and Daniel Rotundo (obviously a radio name). A lot of the students stayed at Piedmont Hall on Piedmont Ave across from Piedmont Park, it was kinda communal with big open showers and bathroom facilities and no locks on the doors, it also had a cafeteria where meals were included with the rent. I stayed there a week then found a nice room on 14th street at a rooming house run by a lady named Mrs Wilkins. CA had nice facilities, both radio and tv. We listened to the records, then recorded "shows", music and news and were harshly critiqued by the instructors. We'd go downtown to 10th street, where the hippies and freaks hung out, and interview people with our little CA reel to reel recorders until one night someone recognized the blazers and a whole crowd of folks made fun of us until we left....it was still fun,though. We also did TV with the video tape machine (reel to reel), news and weather, and we wrote copy and produced spots, that were also pretty harshly reviewed by the instructors. All in all, it was a good experience. I was in radio for 21 years after that, until I just got tired of being over 40 and making about the same as high school kids at mickey d's. Still love thinking about the old days of radio and would love to connect with some CA 1970 Atlanta grads.

    rick newsome
    rnewsome2@nc.rr.com

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  29. Correction on CA’s Washington, DC address – it was 2233 Wisconsin Ave in Georgetown. I know this because I still have Francis X. Gallo’s (school administrator) card that looks like it was handed to me yesterday.
    BTW, Rick…
    In D.C. CA had also recommended some places to live that sounded very similar to yours in Atlanta … “communal with big open showers and bathroom facilities and no locks on the doors, it also had a cafeteria where meals were included with the rent” …ours was called Hartnett Hall on 21st and P Street right smack dab in the center on Dupont Circle. That was a “happenin’ place” because it was the era of flower power, protests, demonstrations, singing hippies with guitars yodeling throughout the entire night and a maverick democratic presidential contender named Eugene McCarthy. You couldn’t miss the bumper stickers and signs all throughout Georgetown – Peace…Love, Not War! - after all, this was D.C. baby! Back to the living quarters: All were rentals with both big and small rooms and a dining hall right across the street. Now, all are expensive condos. My room was so small I could raise my arms and touch both sides of the walls. Length-wise it was about 18 feet with just a sink and a small closet. I was from a small city outside Dayton, OH, so living in D.C. was a totally eye-opening experience. Now, 41 years later, I find my wife and I moving back to roughly the same area within the next year. It must have made quite an impression on such a young lad back in the day!

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  30. Interesting stuff. I graduated from the first class of CA in Toronto. Still in broadcasting but now in broadcast education. Great foundation for a career in broadcasting. Still have my certificate.

    Jerry Chomyn

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  31. When I first got into radio, I didn't talk much about going to CA because all the vets really talked down about broadcast schools and had the attitude that you could only be a broadcaster if you had begged, borrowed, and worked your way in from age 15. Well, I agree with the vets for the most part, but since I had not had an inside track at age 15, CA provided some valuable background and association with people who had been or were still in broadcasting...without CA I would never have gotten a radio job, mainly because I would never have realized that I had such a southside Virginia accent....the first recording of me at CA was the first time I had ever heard myself...and I almost quit because I thought I sounded like the biggest bumpkin ever.
    I have a class picture that was made at a photographer at Lennox Square in Atlanta with all the members of the June - Oct 1970 class, morning and afternoon. In a few days I will dig it out of the attic and scan it to my website (www.drybreadroad.com)...maybe some of the folks from that class will see it.
    I would also be great to know whatever became of Jack Cooney and Daniel Rotundo, the instructors I mentioned in my other post.

    thanks
    rick

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  32. Thank you! I hope more people pose links to photos, scans and audio. This is undiscovered history.

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  33. Here's a picture of our CAFB October 1970 class. Sorry that some guys were cut off, my scanner only does 8.5 x11 and the pic was 11x14. Those not pictured are: R Dockery, G Hancock, B Parrish, S Sharpe, M Boyd, P Carswell, T Foster, Wm Finnie, Wm Eldridge.

    http://drybreadroad.com/images/cafb2.jpg

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  34. http://drybreadroad.com/images/cafb2.jpg

    This is the link to the class picture of the Career Academy School of Famous Broadcasters class of June - October 1970. Some of the pics were cut off because of the size of the picture (11x14) vs the size of my scanner (8.5x11)

    rick

    ReplyDelete
  35. Wow, that class picture brings back a lot of memories! I had forgotten that format...wish I still had mine.
    Waitaminute....no I don't!

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  36. Anonymous3:11 AM

    I attended CA in Hollywood in 1969. Got a p/t job while enrolled througha job posting that came to the school at KJLH-FM (now owned by Stevie Wonder). It was billed as "the only black-owned radio station west of the Missippi River" at the time but the owner's favorite show was "Sinatra at Seven".

    Spent the 70's in radio news and owe it to CA! Bill Morlan

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  37. Anonymous8:27 PM

    Hi Jose,

    I attended the Career Academy in Milwaukee in the fall of 1972 and spring of 1973 (I got mono about five weeks into the course and went home as sick as a dog and started over in the spring). I was a June '72 high school grad from a small Illinois town about half way between Chicago and Milwaukee. As I recall, most of the guys were probably '72 or '71 hs grads with a sprinkling of guys who had finished their time in the service. I think my tuition ran me about $1,200.

    The school was a 4-story building in the Cathedral Square neighborhood, just north of the downtown area. Most of the broadcasting students lived in the main dorm of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)on Wisconsin Avenue a couple of blocks north of CA, although a minority of the students lived at the U. of WI-Milwaukee. In addition to the med tech students (95% girls!) there were also business students, and a "dental technician" program whose students were basically learning how to make dentures--we had a guy from Kansas in that program that lived on our floor at MSOE.

    As I recall, the Milwaukee school was the "flagship" of the franchise. The "coursework" basically consisted of announcing exercises (in the "language lab" facilities some of the other contributors have mentioned--we each had our private booth equipped with a turntable for the CA lps and a reel-to-reel tape recorder and headset; we each had a notebook with various scripts, commercials, and newscasts which we practiced and recorded on our practice reels), lectures on newswriting and copy writing as well as vocabulary and spelling tests. We generally had written homework and reading assignments each night during the first few weeks of the program. Finally, we also had practice time in "Studio B" of WCAB most days of the week.

    Our main instructors at the Milwaukee school was an ex-announcer named Don Miller (who was apparently a fairly big name in Milwaukee radio back in the '50s and into the '60s--but I never did know the scoop on that)and Bob Marx (who besides his CA gig did a Sunday morning shift on WISN radio). I know we had a couple of guest lecturers but no one of any great stature.

    As I remember the curriculum it was divided into three 4-week segments with gradually more production instruction (tape editing and such)and more time in the "studio" being added into the program in the second phase. During the third phase we basically operated a full-time "make believe" radio station from 8 AM to noon with different people having responsibilities for news, sports, manning the board, etc, etc. We occassionally took broadcasting field trips--I can remember going to the WOKY TV studios for some sort of program (might have been about TV commercials) and also going down to the district courts to watch court in session (this was supposedly to hone our court reporting and news gathering skills). We went to the court of Judge Christ Seraphim who was a very prominent judge in the city and apparently a pal of the aforementioned Don Miller.

    continued

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  38. Anonymous8:29 PM

    Milwaukee CA 72-73 cont.

    One of the major elements of the whole experience was studying to take the FCC 3rd class exam, with the aim of landing the all-important "broadcast endorsement". A group of about ten of us headed down to Chicago to the Dirksen Building to take this test at the FCC offices there where it was administered every Thursday morning. Probably about half of us--including me--flunked the test. I was a terrible math student and there was too much math on the exam. I got a 3rd class license without an endorsement but was able to get one year waiver.

    CA seemed to be a thriving program when I entered in the fall of '72. There were three full rosters of students and both morning and afternoon shifts of students. I would guess that there may have been as many as 70+ students in the broadcasting program alone. We took up more than two floors in the MSOE dorm.

    However, the beginnings of "stagflation" in the American economy began to make its effect felt and I believe that even at this point CA was swimming in red ink. By the time I had recovered from my mono bout and re-enrolled in mid-January my incoming "class" consisted of myself and two other guys--we were the morning program and there was NO afternoon program at all by the time we were up for our final 4 weeks. Needless to say, we all got a lot more time in the big-time studio A than most other students and had the run of the place all afternoon and evenings if we wanted to do practice time. They were also bringing in guys from across the country who were correspondence students and whose nearby CA outlets had closed--I remember specifically guys coming from St. Louis and San Francisco for "intensive" two-week exposure to the studios.

    It was also becoming very clear that the radio biz was changing and that places like CA no longer offered you much of a leg-up for getting into the industry. This was driven home to all of us in early '73 when we noticed a notice of a job opening in the back pages of Broadcasting magazine. This particular ad caused quite a stir with us as it included something to the effect that "No recent Career Academy graduates need apply." The truth was that a college degree and "live" experience at a college station was much more sought after than our 12-week program and practice notebook. Moreover, the program was geared towards MOR or pop radio more akin to the radio of the 1960s. The rise of "underground" Fm stations was simply off their radar. I remember a guy from Milwaukee's premier FM rock station of the day coming down to check out some of our guys for an opening he had--nobody was hired that day.

    continued

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  39. Anonymous8:30 PM

    Milwaukee CA 72-73, part 3

    Still, several guys--obviously the more talented and industrious--managed to wangle jobs. I remember a couple of guys who got country gigs at stations in ND and southern Illinois and another who landed a job at a station in St. Ignace, MI ("WIDG on the Bridge") on the Mackinac Straits. One of the two guys I worked with actually landed a job as a TV weatherman at a station in Ottumwa, Iowa. With the help of a friend who had also roomed on the 6th floor of MSOE during my earlier enrollment, I actually was able to get on at a station in Woodstock, IL (WSTK-FM, 105.5, later WXRD and now WZSR)and stayed there for ab out 4 months until low pay at this horribly mis-managed station and a row over high school football broadcasts inspired me to quit.

    At any rate, it was clear that CA was on its last legs by the time I finished there. In late summer '73 CA was basically declaring bankruptcy and I heard the news from one of my two "classmates" who lived in Milwaukee that CA had made the news and that it was being investigated for fraud--made quite a splash in the Milwaukee papers. Don't know what eventually happened.

    I'm still a radio geek, but eventually decided my strengths lay elsewhere. I eventually went to college, then got a masters in history, taught hs for 4 years and then landed a job at a private college in the Chicago area where I've been for 20 years now, and have since got my doctorate in history. About 15 years ago I began to assist the college FM station with its annuaol Christmas programming. Ironically, the board in the studio at that time was the same one I had used at CA in Milwaukee 20 years before (that's all been replaced since--thankfully!)

    Sorry for blabbing on, but a lot of memories began to surface. Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce!

    --Larry

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  40. that was fantastic. I need to scare up some Milwaukee papers from the era. read about fraud, and find that broadcaster ad stating "No recent Career Academy graduates need apply."

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  41. Anonymous9:16 AM

    Can any one confirm an earlier post from the Atlanta CA school, that actor Gary Sandy graduated as a top student in Fall - Winter class of 1966-67. We all lived at Amherst Hall back then on 8th Street, near the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The school was located near Piedmont Hospital. At that time the CA placement program was decent and students did get radio jobs right out of school, LA, Texas, Upper midwest, south, etc

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  42. Anonymous11:54 AM

    Some updates to my earlier posts about my Milwaukee Career Academy days and the institution's financial difficulties. Via my "day job" as a historian I used my subscription to newspaperarchives.com to do a little digging. Here are some of the things I came up with: An AP wire story in the Manitowoc (WI) Herald-Times on July 1, 1972 ("Pavalon Quits School Post")notes that the founder of Career Academy, Wesley D. Pavalon who is cited as being 38 years of age and having founded the schools in 1955(!--i.e. at 21 years of age)had resigned his position as chairman and president of CA. The article noted that CA had lost nearly $7.2 million in 1970, almost $6 million in 1971, and had lost over $500,000 in the first quarter of 1972. The article also brought up something I had forgotten from my days in Milwaukee--Pavalon was at that time the chairman of Milwaukee Sports Service, the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.

    An article from Madison's Capital Times from May 25, 1974 ("FTC Order Restricts Career Academy Claims")states that CA had been orderd to cease its "deceptive means" for selling its various courses: "The order prohibits CA from making undocumented claims about the employment opportunities for graduates and the school's effectiveness at placing graduates in jobs. In addition,the order bans misrepresentations that the diplomas issued by the firm are equivalent to degrees from accredited colleges. According to a spokesman for [the FTC's] regional office in Chicago, the consent order resulted from a complaint that many of the Academy's 'students' did not receive the assistance, sales leads and income stated in promotional material . . . . A further allegation . . . is that ther is not reasonable basis for Career Academy's claims that an urgent need exists for people in the fields of its courses."

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  43. Anonymous12:03 PM

    PT. II:

    Finally, an AP wire story in the December 13th, 1974 Sheboygan Press ("Career Academy is Broke") tells the news that CA had initiated bankruptcy proceedings, listing just under $10 million dollars in assets and over $16 million dollars in debt. Apparently a Virginia-based company had decided not to reorganize CA's debt in exchange for stock. According to the article, CA had lost nearly $3.8 million in 1973 and had lost $1.2 million in the first half of 1974. It said that CA had been founded in 1961 and began selling stocks to outside investors in 1965, splitting stock in '66, '67, and '68 "before plunging after analysis criticized its accounting methods." The article recapped its troubles with the FTC, saying that CA had promised to "halt the practices without admitting to the validity of the complaint." It concluded by quoting a CA spokesman as saying it expected all its resident schools to remain open during bankruptcy proceedings except for a school in Boston which was being closed.

    I imagine by that time whatever students remained were jumping ship in droves.

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  44. You know...that's just flat out sad. That was a time in my life I will never forget - nothing but fond memories. Had it not been for the job placement program that got me my first job in Hampton Roads, well, who knows what would have happened. As they said on WKRP..."Well, it all started on a 1,000 watt radio station......"
    Bob Jump
    www.bobjump.com
    www.therightvoicenow.com
    www.cowboy voice.com

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  45. This story just gets better and better.

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  46. This is certainly a book or much more here. As a graduate of CA I could tell you horror stories and one quickly learned that to succeed you had to forget you went there. Of course the students were all those with no grades, money or connections to go to a real college, so school officials knew they'd never be challenged. Sadly, anyone who had walked into or even called a radio station would know enough not to go to a "close cover before striking academy" such as CA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The training was good. I enrolled some students after they had a college degree. Your depiction is false. If a grad felt mentioning the school during an interview was a negative, that was their prerogative, but as a former station exec, it wouldn't have deterred me from making the hire.

      Delete
  47. Damn, Olen...well I guess some of us made it, others didn't. Why the comment?

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  48. If it had not been for Career Academy, I probably would never have seen the inside of a radio station, as it was I had a 20 year career that I enjoyed very much. Unfortunately, Olen, is correct; the last thing you wanted to do, if you wanted to land a job, was to walk into a pd's office wearing your CA blazer. Radio people back then just did not want anyone who went to a broadcast school, you were supposed to have started hanging around the station when you were 12, clearing the wire, being a gopher, using your money to bring the jock food and drinks, before finally one day, someone needs to leave early or doesn't show up for work and they throw you behind the mike. Well the truth of the matter is most of us did not have access to that kind of opportunity so Career Academy gave you a chance to see how the inside of a radio studio really looked and worked. The first recording I ever heard of myself was at CA, and honestly I was horrified, I sounded like someone from the deep south (which I was)with such a heavy drawl that only others from the area could understand. The lessons at CA taught me to breathe and articulate, and that little tape recorder let you hear yourself and helped you to get the desired "midwest" sound (no accent, or a lot less of an accent anyway). If I had not learned anything about radio, it was my first time away from home on my own, and what I learned about surviving in this life was invaluable. So, CA grads got a bad rap, but most of us found a way to get our foot in the door of a small station to work a weekend shift (alot of times for free) until one of the full timers quit and the owner/manager decided to give you a try. In my case, I had been working 2 hours on Sunday nights for a jock who wanted to leave early for another gig, when one night the owner of the station came by to meet the guy who had been working at his station for several months. He asked me if the jock was paying me, and then told me to come in the next day and fill out the paper work and he'd give me a regular weekend shift; that would never have happened if it weren't for what I learned at CA.


    Rick Newsome

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  49. Anonymous2:26 PM

    check this out: http://books.google.com/books?id=ZykEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq#v=onepage&q=career&f=false

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  50. Hello,
    I don't know how I happened upon this blog, but I'm very happy I did.
    I, too, am a graduated of Career Academy. I was in the Fall class of 1971 at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue in the Washington (Georgetown)school.
    I think I was one of the fortunate ones. I'd spent well over 20 years in the broadcasting business before giving it up in the mid-1990's.
    I said "fortunate" because, as one of our instructors (Gary Bevan) told us, "Within six years, only four people in this class will still be working in broadcasting."

    That was Mr. Bevan's way of saying, "Most people love broadcasting, but, unfortunately, broadcasting (because of love pay, limited resources and thankless jobs) doesn't like many people. Dedication in the face of many, many obstacles - is the key!"

    That was one of the things I'll always remember about Career Academy. I think I may have had a bit of raw talent (And I mean REAL RAW ), but talent wasn't nearly as important as my willingness to figure out ways to use it.

    That's probably why within those six years Mr. Bevan had talked about, I'd already worked at seven radio and television stations.

    By the mid-1980's I becamse a reporter and anchorman for Entertainment Tonight. I gladly took the things I learned at The Career Academy of Broadcasting with me.

    Hope this didn't bore anybody, but I'm really happy to have found this.

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  51. This remains one of my favorite posts because people keep finding it, and relating to it and adding to the story. I've been slowly picking up source materials.. I may yet have to write a book about this. It's really amazing how many broadcasters came through this school.

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  52. Where was the School Located?

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  53. Read through the comments. There were at least a dozen different schools in a dozen different cities: Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Toronto and many others.

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  54. Anonymous8:08 AM

    Milwaukee was the mother ship. Other schools included Washington DC area and many major US cities. The school in Atlanta was BIG, the Fall-Winter class of 1966-67 had 40-60 graduates and a formal graduation cerimony was held at the historic Biltmore Hotel. The Atlanta school was first class in the 60s, both men and women attended and coats and ties were mandatory.

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  55. Will one of you write a book about this or do I have to do it?

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  56. Greetings from Nebraska. I graduated from CA in Georgetown in I believe 1967. What I remember most about that era with what we called Hartnet Nilton :) More like a rooming house on Dupont Circle.

    I believe CA also had a Nursing School in the same building. I remember the main instructor got into trouble when he got caught caught"with" the head instructor of the nursing school.

    The most memorable student was Al Brill, just a heck of a nice guy and constantly had us in stitches. I see there is an Alvin Brill on Face Book who looks very much like the Al I remember. I sent him a message a few days ago but have not heard from him.

    Speaking of FB, there are several CA groups on Face Book.

    Anyone else out there from the '66/67 Georgetown class?

    Dick Day
    dickday0@gmail.com

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  57. Hi Dick:
    FINALLY, someone who came from CA in DC ala Hartnett Hall at 21st and P! You were a year ahead of me, however it seems like when you wrote, I got the same vibe. Did you have Gary Bevens and Tony Phillips as your instructors?
    Bob Jump

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  58. I was in the CA class of 1967 in DC and I lived near the corner of 21st and P Street.
    I loved living in DC, especially near Dupont Circle.
    I was there for the moritorium march.
    My roommate was a guy from Bangor Maine by the name of Doug Kelshaw.
    Is there anybody out there?
    -Ron Biagiotti

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  59. George Mackie12:42 PM

    Hi there;
    I was in the 1st graduating class in New Yok City-Feb. 67. Our school was located on the 3rd floor of a building at 8 W.40th St in Manhattan. All of us from out of town were housed in what is now a place for low income people called The Prince George Hotel on E.28th St. I remember well the red binder text that we received, and of course the blue blazer neede to be worn to class eveyday. The LP records were a "trip", considering the people on the recordings were a bunch of Zig Ziglars.
    I was drafted into the Army 30 days after I graduated, and spent most of my tour of duty on Okinawa at the Armed Forces Radio & TV Service. Did a Top 40 radio show in the evening, and the weather on TV. Any questions?
    George Mackie- Pittsburgh, PA
    Our instuctor was Jim Echert who at one time was a radio DJ somewhere in eastern PA. My classes were in the morning,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i was in the afternoon shift and also got a draft notice soon after graduating and did football and evening broadcasting in korea for AFKN. Ray Oakley was our outstanding student and Paula Powell from Hawaii. Dick Hockin from WALK was our instructor.

      Delete
    2. i was in the afternoon class with ray oakley and paula powell. went into the service soon after and broadcast football games and music on Armed Forces Korean Network.

      Delete
    3. Went to the NYC school in the fall of 68. We stayed at what was called Hotel Lancaster. Local dining spot for Russell Bufalino in those days. Worked for 6 years in radio in Pennsylvania before changing careers after college.

      Delete
  60. wow. i cant believe that career academy had that kind of history. i went to the boston branch from june until sept 1972 for broadcasting. unfortunately, it never panned out for me in radio, but i really enjoyed my experience in boston at that time. i remember hearing the red sox broadcasters doing the game in the next room! practically lived in the college dorm across the street from fenway. if anyone went there during that time period, pls post. i would love to hear from you guys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:57 PM

      I went to the Boston school from February 1970 to June 1970 it was a great time. Lived on commonwealth avenue and walked to school near Fenway. Worked part time in evenings at Brighams Ice Cream. I’m still in radio after starting in September 1970. Sports and morning show. Inducted into New York Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016 with yankees announcer John Sterling. Loved the school. Hope to hear from Boston grads. Dan Palmer class of 1970.

      Delete
  61. if anyone would like to email me from the boston class of broadcasting or nursing from june to sept 1972, pls feel free. would love to hear from you guys.

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  62. Anonymous3:27 PM

    How interesting. I just happen to come across this website by accident. I didn't attend Career Academy but was very familiar with it. However, I did attend The Atlanta School of Radio and TV broadcast from June 1969 - March 1970. I did notice that several students of Career Academy lived at Amhearst Hall as did I. If anyone happens to read this and was a classmate during this time would like to hear from you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I stayed at Amherst hall the summer of 1968

      Delete
  63. I attend CA in Milwaukee in 1966-67. I got my FCC third Class w/ Broadcast endorsement in Florida a year later. Never pursued broadcasting after that. (God had other plans for me).

    I do remember an instructor named "John Oakvick"(?) I think. We used to nick name him, John "Break-and-Breathe" Oakvick.

    I hated the winters in Milwaukee. I stayed in some big hotel near Lake Michigan. COLD.

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    Replies
    1. Preacher, Hi Roger Minnick I attended and graduated from CA fall 66 with a graduation in January 67. I was one of the lucky ones, I got a job at WISN TV12 in Milwaukee. Nothing on air I worked in the stageing dept, worked as a floor director, had to join the union and worked as a professional stage hand out of the Milwaukee local union hall. That was great but I wanted to be on the air.. so I ended up taking a job in Southwestern lower Michigan, Dowagiac's WDOW..did morning for a year of so then moves to South Bend Indiana... moved to Columbia South Carolina, then North Carolina five states in ten years... now here it is 2022 I am still in radio.. after 17 years on the air I have spent the last 35 years in radio sales.My first wife was also a medical assistant graduate of CA MIlwaukee, she lived in the girls dorm at St Katherines one block over.. I too lived at the old hotel The Knickerbocker hotel on the lake across from Juneau Park.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:28 PM

      Roger - do you remember a guy named John Clemens?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous6:29 PM

      Do you remember a guy named John Clemens

      Delete
  64. mabdlb@att.net4:24 PM

    I did a search not really expecting to come up with anything. I attended C A in Atlanta Feb-June 1968. I stayed in Amherst Hall during that time. The school was in an office building on Peachtree Street.We had two mock studios. One was designated as local the other was network. I never was able to use my training.
    I lived in So. Fla. and competition there was fierce.
    The instructor was Dan Rotundo (a radio name),worked locally in radio.

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  65. mabdlb@att.net4:32 PM

    I just remembered the instructors real name in Atlanta was Dan Alexander.

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    Replies
    1. actually his real name was Dan Rotundo.....Alexander was his air name.....also Mitch Leopard and Ed Hastings

      Delete
    2. actually Rotunda was his real name....also there was Mitch Leopard and Ed Hastings

      Delete
  66. I attended CA Atlanta June - Sept '68. They had changed the dorm to an old hotel on Ponce de Leon near little 5 points. Anyone remember the Great Speckled Bird underground paper there? I remember the lessons we did. Had my 3rd class endorsed since 15 so I played in the studio while the class prepared for the FCC test. Afterwards I found a job at a 500 watter AM near my hometown of Pensacola, FL and began my career in Radio.

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  67. Anonymous9:26 PM

    I attended CA in DC starting in October '72. Tony Phillips was the lead instructor at that time. Ran into him years later.

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  68. I attended Career Academy School of Famous Broadcasters in ATL starting in February, 1967. I'm currently a California-based freelance reporter for NPR News.
    I'd like to hear from anyone who attended ATL school about the same time I did.

    Bob Hensley
    nprnews20003@yahoo.com

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  69. Anonymous8:27 AM

    Bob Hensley: Graduated in the Atlanta (CA) class right before you Feb 67. Graduation was at the old Biltmore Hotel. Our main instructor was Jim Robinson who worked at WSB FM, strict, nasty but a pro with good voice work. There were two other teachers, a former student Ed-Edwin, who was a local guy. There was also a former sales guy-air talent with a great voice, good instructor. lived at Amhearst Hall on 8th St. near the Fox Theatre. It was flattened, turned into a Parking Lot. The old school building is still there, across from Piedmont Hospital and is now used for mostly medical. See earlier posts about Atlanta.
    Dorm mates in 66-67 included Nutter-TN, Gammons-Kentucky, G. Smith-Columbus, OH. One of the star students at the time ended up doing the TV show "WKRP in Cincy".
    The classes were large, both morning - afternoon. Several went on to long careers. WQXI AM, QXI in Dixie, was the big rock station in 66-67. Bruce Dad-OH, from the class landed a PT job at WQXI doing news and later did the Army-AFN. Another grad, Dale-LA did some work for WSB FM during classes and after graduation
    RF

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  70. Anonymous8:33 AM

    r. Fritz

    Your blog post concerning Career Academy is really appreciated. I
    attended in 1969 at the Houston school. It was right next to the freeway
    and there was a fairly large class. This trade school, one that went out

    under a cloud of suspicion on account of its advertising practices,
    seems to have just about passed into oblivion. I am strongly thinking
    about starting a Facebook survivors page.

    On another matter, I just returned from a road trip that took my wife

    and I to the site of my first job in radio and my first firing, KWOE in
    Clinton, Ok. I have an album on my Facebook page designated to that
    locale and the bar conveniently located right across the road.

    http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#%21/album.php?aid=500245&id=567275276


    I am
    just full of arcane radio trivia, so I will keep an eye on your web
    pages. Keep in touch!
    Pat

    --
    Pat Lynch

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  71. Bob Hensley1:24 PM

    To Anonymous from CA ATL class of 1966-67.
    Our instructors were Jim Robinson and Lyn Muzzy.
    I met Bruce Dadd while at CA. I ran into Bruce in 1969 in Washington. We were both in the army. Bruce had just returned from Nam.
    He went to work at all-news station in Houston. Sadly Bruce passed away about ten years ago.
    Thanks for the post.
    Please feel free to contact me @
    nprnews2003@yahoo.com

    Bob Hensley

    ReplyDelete
  72. Bob Hensley2:52 PM

    To RF from Career Academy ATL class 1966-67.
    My e-mail address is:
    nprnews2003@yahoo.com
    Bob Hensley

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  73. Anonymous10:11 PM

    I attended C.A. in Atlanta in the fall of 69. I remember the chief instructor was Dan Rontundo and also Mitch Leopard who later worked for CNN. Anybody else out there from graduating class of 70?

    ReplyDelete
  74. TalentAgent4:31 PM

    Greetings,
    I attended CA in Kansas City,MO.What a great place! It was a place to learn the basics. My first job was at a station in KY that ONLY hired Grads of CA. From there went to KSBK Radio/Okinawa.Now...I'm on the other side of the Entertainment Biz as an Agent. If I hadn't attended CA in KCMO, I'd probably be working in another profession somewhere.
    Great Memories here on the blog.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Interesting....who are you working with?
    Bob Jump DC CA Grad 1968

    ReplyDelete
  76. Anonymous2:21 PM

    I need help. I graduated in 68 from Career Academy at Milwaukee, WI; I took their medical assistant program. I can not find any current listing for them or who took over for them or whom to contact for back information. If someone can help me out, please email: mugsy_bb@yahoo.com ASAP. Thanks ever so much

    12/02/10

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  77. Anonymous6:22 PM

    I,m working on my memoirs which will include Career academy and probably be out in May."From missouri to louisiana and back."
    Thad Carter

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  78. Anonymous8:25 PM

    I attended Career Academy in Columbus,Ohio fall 1968.What I remember most from it was living at the YMCA . The desk guy was a George Wallace campaigner . He had us pass out buttons on our way to school every afternoon.What I remember most about the school was taking our reel to reel tape recorders and interviewing people around the capital building across the street.email me at mgwieg@bright.net Gary W.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I attended there the following spring.

      Delete
  79. I graduated from CA (Milwaukee) Class of '66. Saw Mr. St. John and Earl Gillespie (he was local) several times. Still have my certificate, my graduation picture in my CA blazer AND my CA lapel pin! Graduated on a Friday nite, started on the air on WKTS in Sheboygan, WI the next day. Stayed on-air for 20 yrs. Wouldn't trade a minute of it!

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  80. Anonymous11:45 PM

    Still have the CA LAPEL PIN following a 40 year career. Graduated from CA Atlanta 1966-67. Worked in some of the top markets in the NE and SE...was fortunate to work for great companies, when TV-Radio stations had strong ownership. First job out of school was in the Baton Rouge area.

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  81. My name's Cem Maier and I graduated in June 1970 from the Washington, DC school. I went there with Mike Napolitana, my friend from Altoona, PA. After about a month, he decided that it wasn't for him so he headed home. I almost followed him...but I'm glad that I stayed. I roomed with Mike Pearson from Virginia, the world's biggest Brooks Robinson fan. As a student, I had the pleasure of interviewing dozens of ballplayers at RFK Stadium and one famous manager, Ted Williams. That was over forty years ago, and I'm still in radio. Spent three years on the air and the rest of the time in sales. Also did play-by-lay of girls basketball for 18 years in PA...mainly for Altoona Lady Lions. Now in Florida, where I'm GSM at True Oldies 106.3. If you happened to be in my class, drop me a line at cem@trueoldies1063.com.

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  82. I was a member of the Washington DC Graduating Clas- June 1970. Iwent their with Mike Napolitana, a friend from Altoona, PA. He decided that it wasn't for him and headed home after a month, but I stayed and I'm so glad that i did. While there, i had the opportunity to interview dozens of Major Leaguers at RFK Stadium and one famous manager, Ted Williams. Since graduating, I've been in radio...the first four years on the air, and in sales since then. Also did play-by-play of about 900 high school basketball games, including about a dozen state championship games in Hershey, PA. I've been working in Florida for the past 13 years...presently the GSM at True Oldies 106.3. If you were a member of that class, contact me at cem@trueoldies1063.com.

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  83. Great story, Cem ... and the reason I say that is most everybody came to CA to become a DJ ... as opposed to what you wanted ... a sports announcer. Glad you could live that dream.
    Glad to meet you.
    Bob

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  84. Anonymous7:21 AM

    An observation about CA grads now days: The hay day for Career Acadeny schools around the country was in the late 1960s, early 70's. That makes most grads in their late 50's, 60's and beyond. Happy retirement!

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  85. B. Pfeiffer10:59 AM

    I graduated from the CA broadcasting program in Milwaukee in Jan or Feb of '72. I remember that the head of the school abrubtly resigned and they replaced him with the Admin. Asst. named Jackie. I went directly into the Army, then college, and have been in broadcasting for the past 31 years. My very good friend at the time attended the CA Dental program.

    B. Pfeiffer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, I was there with you, Pat jacklin from Appleton. Remember Gary from Colordo? He was my roomate. Would love to connect with you.

      Delete
  86. Anonymous8:58 AM

    Graduated CA in Milwaukee in 1969. CA Blazer and class materials are long gone. However, I am still in radio as part of the "Randy & Spiff Morning Show". Been doing morning radio in Atlanta, GA since 1989. Before that worked in Charlotte NC, Rockford IL, Lake Tahoe CA, Peoria IL, Streator IL, Lasalle-Peru IL, and Mendota IL. Grauduated from Southern Illinois University in 1978 after 4 years in the Air Force. Fun memories of CA. Lost track of most my classmates. Do get an annual Christmas card from Harv Angel who now lives on Guam.

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  87. I'll reiterate for the more recent comments. I will gladly post any scanned CA materials here. Just leave me a way to contact you and I'll respond.

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  88. B McCarthy8:58 PM

    I also graduated from the Toronto location along with a friend of mine from Nova Scotia. Still have a photo of the graduating class. I did not work in the field, but my friend is still employed in the field in a radio station in New Brunswick.

    ReplyDelete
  89. scan and share if you can!

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  90. Anonymous2:26 PM

    Just found this site....and many of the postings are several years old. I attended CA in Milwaukee winter-spring of '68. Graduated in a neat-but-old local hotel on the very day of Bobby Kennedy's funeral. Martin Luther King, Jr. was also assassinated while I attened C.A. I did not go into radio broadcasting but the school played an important part in my life. I'd love to hear from folks from that class. Bob Holderbaum bobhbaum@aol.com

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  91. Anonymous1:38 PM

    I went to the Georgetown/DC CA in 1970. Had Gary Bevan and Tony Phillips as instructors. Lived at the old McLean Gardens, which are now luxury condos. I have lots of great memories of the place and the time, and, to this day, remember the exercises (The 'fin' in finance is like the 'fin' on a fish') and hate them :) I spent the subsequent 10 years in the business (WCHE, WKBO, WRHY, WVAM, WQVE) and finally, as my wife puts it, "got a real job". I still manage to make a few bucks with my voice now and then, but radio is nothing like it was in those days, and it isn't worth the effort to get back into it.

    "Capt." Dave Edwards (not real last name)

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  92. Glad to have found these posts about CA. I was in Atlanta in '69. Memories of; The old hotel on Ponce DeLeon, no automatic elevators, they had an elevator operator. Cutting through Piedmont Park on the way to class, Varsity Drive In, eating at Lums where I could order a beer, and not get carded because the guys I was with were older. Card games at the hotel. Braves baseball because a lot of the guys wanted to be sportscasters. Sign by the school updating the population of Atlanta. Didn't we have to wear a coat and tie? Powdered eggs for breakfast. Burgers at the greasy spoon across the street from then hotel. Abandoning my 53 Ford wagon in the parking lot. Frank Reed, Mornings KLTY Dallas frank.reed@klty.com

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  93. I went to CA in Boston on Brookline Ave to become a sportscaster in 1972-73. We were told we would be in the broadcast booth at fenway... sadly we found out half way through our course that the promise of that was false.

    I had a great time living in Boston but the school placement promise also was false. My job search resulted in laughter at interviews regarding CA and comments to come back when you get some experience.

    I did become a police dispatcher because of my CA certificate of completion and my "ability to be understood on the radio". So it was not a total waste... :)B.C.Y.

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  94. Wow I attended CAS of Broadcasting in Washington D.C. In 1970. I lived in a place I think was called McLean
    Gardens. I did get a part time job at a radio station after graduation. I have pictures of me in my blue blazer.

    Ed
    Referee38@gmail.com

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  95. I went to CA in the summer of 1968 in D.C. It was the best experience of my life. I had just graduated from high school at the age of 17 and worked harder at that school than at any other before or after. I have worked fulltime or parttime in broadcasting for 42 year, and while my fulltime job these days is in PR at a state agency, I continue doing play-by-play of college football and basketball. I remember well Gary Bevan and Tony Phillips...I saw a post from someone after 1968 that mentioned a Slonaker...he actually graduated in the same class with me and got hired at Career Academy.

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  96. Anonymous8:50 PM

    This is a very old thread, don't know if anyone's still around... went to CA in fall of 1965 in Atlanta. Stayed at a boarding house on Ponce de Leon, roomed with a guy who was attending the dental part of the school. I must have been in one of their 1st classes, the equipment was brand new and first quality. The records, tho' were awful. For each "shift" we had the same stack of wax, about 20 seriously cue-burned 45s that probably never made the charts, with two exceptions: "Here's Elvis, with 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You', followed by "Liar, Liar." I'm not even sure the other 18 Top 40 hits were in English. Some class mates that I remember were Bill Christie (from Cincinnati, drove a hot, bright red '65 Chevy); Bill (?) Thomas, who had a part-time gig at a station in, I think, South Carolina (Mr Robinson bragged on Bill one day in class, said he was filling in one weekend when something went wrong in the Gates board, wouldn't send a signal to the transmitter; Bill, thinking quickly, reportedly threw all the switches from the right position ("on air") to the left ("monitor"); then threw the main output switch left which sent the board output to the transmitter. Slick move, and earned him a full-time position at the station); a fellow by the name of Ladd, who always wore plaid blazers and called himself "The Scotch-Plaid Ladd", great, natural sense of humor; Andy Delery, a big guy from Texas, had a Texas-sized voice, we just knew he'd be succesful; and about 10 others, including a lady who was perfect with that list of classical composers.

    I recall listening to those LP transcriptions in the booths, and recording some "broadcasts". One time I tried to emulate a local (Chattanooga) announcer that I thought was popular. Mr. Robinson, slowing walking the aisles between the cubicles monitoring our efforts, stopped abruptly. "What is THAT?, he asked. "There's a guy on the air in Chattanooga that talks like that." "Well, it sounds awful. Just be yourself." Very valuable lesson; point taken; and, after listening again that next weekend to the guy ("Pat O'Day and Company", only, I was "Jim Stevens and Company")I had to agree. He really didn't sound good on the air. Hope this story didn't drag on too long, and some folks are still lurking hereabouts to see it. After all these years the only keepsake I still have is the original contract to attend the school, and the acceptance letter to the CAB signed by Robert St. John. Unlike Harvard, once the check cleared the bank one was accepted. As a kid (18) I had no idea who Robert St. John was; boy, what I would give to meet him now... Love to hear from any of you at vfwjim@gmail.com. Hope you're doing well! Jim.

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  97. Anonymous4:37 PM

    Career Academy of Broadcasting ! You ahve got to be kidding. Probably the biggest ripoff I have ever had the misfortune of being a "garduate" of. I was in the first ever class in Toronto in the summer of 1968. Yes, it was very impressive. Great sales job they did on me and my parents who footed the grossly over charged "tuition". It was a three month course. There was a choice of morning or afternoon class. Among my classmates was a gentleman in his late 50s who stuttered and fumbled terribly. Another was a fellow with such a thick accent that you could hardly understand what he was saying. One of the instructors quit halfway through the course in discussed. And no-one that I know of ever secured a job in any form of broadcasting mayself included. Almost every station that a went to laughed when I showed them my graduation certificate. To this day I feel terrible that my parents threw away all that money because I talked them into it. The only pleasant memories are those of my classmates.
    R. Peck

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    Replies
    1. Rick Miller12:39 PM

      I was a Regional Director for CA. I also came from the Broadcasting World. I never approved nor do I know of a stutterer or heavily accented person ever being approved for enrollment. Hundreds of grads got jobs in the industry. I also advised students to get a 1st Phone as an additional insurance policy when seeking employment.

      Delete
    2. Rick Miller12:43 PM

      Google+ only.

      Delete
    3. Rick, are you still out there? I have so many questions about Career Academy.

      Delete
    4. Rick Miller8:36 AM

      Jose: Your Profile doesn't show a contact method.

      Delete
  98. Steve Gorman5:21 PM

    Hi,
    I graduated from the Career Academy in Washington, DC in February, 1967.
    My career in radio was short lived since I was drafted in December of 1967. I never got back into radio to my everlasting regret.
    I had a great 12 weeks with Bob Marx, Bill Weber and Rod Carr. I learned quite a bit from these great guys. I would love to know where they are now.
    It would be great if anyone from that class (November, 1966 to February, 1967) would read this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Anonymous7:30 PM

    Today is April 15, 2012. Just wondering. Is this Topic still open? Anyone still interested? I graduated from the San Francisco Career Academy, on Market St. in (I think) 1968 Yep, I do have a strong opinion(s) about those 3 months. Not all bad. Some bad, though. So not good at all. Yet, it WAS an extraordinary time in my life. **Btw...I think ALL Career Academy...Branchs had Nursing Programs alongside the Broadcasting.

    Before I go on 'n on, let's see if anybody's (still) reading. Best regards, P

    ReplyDelete
  100. Today is April 15, 2012. Just wondering. Is this Topic still open? Anyone still interested? I graduated from the San Francisco Career Academy, on Market St. in (I think) 1968 Yep, I do have a strong opinion(s) about those 3 months. Not all bad. Some bad, though. Some not good at all. Yet, it WAS an extraordinary time in my life. I DID get a radio job following my CA graduation. Then others. Transitioned to TV. Did well. Won several Emmys. And stuff. **Btw...I think ALL Career Academy...Branchs had Nursing Programs alongside the Broadcasting.

    Before I go on 'n on, let's see if anybody's (still) reading. Hope so. Especially any folks from those San Francisco Days. Best regards, P

    ReplyDelete
  101. Hoping you can help. Graduate of 73 for the Medical Assistant program.Looking for any info on how to get get a copy of my certification.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Sincerely,
    Melissa Jezierski
    m.hubert1407@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  102. Anonymous12:20 PM

    May 6, 2012
    I can't believe my luck in finding these comments.

    I was a franchise owner for Career Academy in Chicago, Kansas City and Hollywood, approx 1968-1972, when the
    US government reneged on it's vocational student loan program and essentially bankrupted Career Academy and destroyed the equity of stockholders and franchisees.

    It is just great to hear of all the positive experiences of our
    former students.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you John Mohan?

      Delete
    2. RicK Miller5:20 PM

      If it was John, he also had an outstanding career in Tournament Bridge

      Delete
  103. If you have the time... I'd love to interview you about Career Academy. There is very little out there recorded on the business side of the company.

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  104. Anonymous7:01 PM

    This is May 8, 2012. First, for the lady looking for records from her medical training, I went through a similar experience with Elkins Institute (another fine establishment from the "good old days) and you might as well forget it. Those records are long gone and it is a shame. I know that was a good program. I love to check this blog from time to time. Graduated from Houston 1969. Would love to see a Facebook page. On another topic, the broadcast training may have been overpriced, but it did lead me to a 40 year career in radio. I never made any real money but did a lot of neat stuff. Sometimes I wish I had made the money instead! Will check back regularly. Pat Lynch (plynch@swbell.net)

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  105. I am one of the so-called home correspondents of CA. Signed with sales rep who visited my home in Spring 1968. Unlike many who attended a "campus" school, mine was progress at own speed. Enjoyed the variety of curriculum, and, while response time was slow by today's standards, found it more thorough as it targeted the various aspects of broadcasting in the field. In many ways more instructional than many of the college instructors I encountered. My first paying jobs began in January 1970 at two different stations in New York State 25 miles apart. Unlike many of those who have posted, mine has been an enjoyable and rewarding career. Three years ago, after 15 years as sport-only radio, I launched a web-based sports play-by-play company with 3 audio channels and 1 video channel that stream Collegiate and Scholastic sporting event. And, while I never had the opportunity to experience the Radio & TV studio side of CA, I still have my CA pin from those days of long ago.
    Richard 5/11/12

    ReplyDelete
  106. John Godwin7:44 PM

    I graduated from CA in Columbus, Ohio in 1976. It was across the street from the State House. Oh can I remember those days. I was just barely 20 and walked alot to school and I was on the radio doing a morning show on WFAC FM.
    This station gave some CA students the oppourtunity to use the training on the air live. Had a piece in the Columbis Dispatch under radio highlights "Contemporary Hits with John Curtis." So much fun back then. Lived with a family down the street so I could walk to school.Life was good. Since then I did'nt get a gig on radio but I volunteered reading for Radio for the Blind in SC for many years and used my voice for many Church related events and School Band Competitions. Without going to CA my life would have been different for sure. I'm from SC and of course the instructors at CA worked on getting rid of my accent. They succeeded then so when I went back to SC they thought I sounded Northern. HA.
    Now I believe I have a mixture of the two. I can turn it off when needed. Ha Ha. Again many good times were had in Columbus and met many friends. Been back in SC for 30+ years and still when I answer the telephone at work or customers hear my pre taped message the say you ought to be in Radio.....Still can remember wearing that red blazier. Also enyed going the Ohio State fair witha press pass. Those days Bob Hope was the main Headliner. John Curtis Godwin

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  107. mike higgins4:54 PM

    Wow! Stumbled across the site by accident. Graduated from CAB in New York City in June of 1967. My first radio job was in August 1967 at WHNC Henderson NC making $65 a week. Six months later moved to WTRI Brunswick MD at $80 a week, 5 months later to WLDB in Alantic City and nine months later to WCFV in Clifton Forge VA where I hit the magic $100 a week figure. Radio paid next to nothing back then so you had to scramble from job to job to get ahead.Stayed in radio for 21 years and loved every minute of it. Enjoyed mt stay at CAB and remember guys such as Mike Bush from Pittsburgh, Jay Clark from New York State and Randy Schwarz from Long Island. Great times and great memories from a far different era of radio

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  108. TalentAgent11:28 PM

    Hi Jose, Great Blog. I posted an earlier post. I have noticed that there have been very few guys here,from CA,in Kansas City. Let me hear from some of the attendees.(CA/KCMO,1969)
    It neat hearing from the Franchisee of the Kansas
    City operation. Terrible that the Government let Career Academy down,like they did back then.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Anonymous12:11 AM

    10 June 2012
    2346 EDT

    I'm awestruck that I happened to find this blog after - out of curiosity - playing with google and typed in "Career Academy" this evening. Bingo! I found this blog. I'm just stunned to the point that I am having a lot of flashbacks from those good old days in Milwaukee.

    I just got back from Vietnam (Navy "Seabee" Platoon Radio Operator Radioman RM3) in the late Fall of 68. I was going to make a career of the Navy but I was injured in a rocket attack. So, I discovered CA and enrolled in the Spring of 69 at the Milwaukee school. I stayed at a hotel just a few blocks North of the school.

    I'm impressed with what I have read so far regarding everyones experiences. Mine were so good that I landed a fantastic position even before I finished the course. I was allowed to leave a couple of weeks early but returned for graduation. The cost? Yeah, I agree it was outrageous. But, the VA paid for mine. So, what do I have to show for [it]. Well, I can't say that I'm complaining at all. I've been in the broadcasting profession since day one. My first job was a couple of hours away at Radio Station WGEZ-AM in Beloit, Wisconsin. I've been steadily employed either in Radio or Television since I left Milwaukee with my diploma, FCC License, and a lot of good memories. It's hard to believe I've been doing this now for 43 years. I'm currently Station Manager, Chief Operator, Morning Personality, Broadcast Meteorologist, Master Certified Electronics Technician at a very popular Radio Station in Jacksonville, Florida where I've been employed for the past 9 years. I can't belive I was making only $1.85 an hour when I started. Now I make that much per minute. And, it all started with that one magazine advertisement.

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  110. Question for "Talent Agent" ... who are you with??

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  111. Question for "Talent Agent" ... who are you with as an agent?

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  112. Wow! I have been looking for some info' on CA for about a year. I read all of the posts and didn't see ONE from a Chicago grduate. I graduated in Jan. of '69.The school was located on Wabash Ave.. My instructors name was Edward Sayed.We had hands on radio and televsion training on the same floor. And yes, just like everybody else, had the booths w/tape recorders. I did recieve an offer before graduation from a radio station in Ohio for a sports casting supervisor. Low and behold....along came the draft soon after graduation and I was nailed.I am a professional musician living in Arkansas and plan on entering the broadcast field once I decide to semi-retire from traveling. If anyone reads this that has knowledge of the Chicago school and it's grads' from Jan.1969, please write a post. Thanks! Bob in Arkansas

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  113. Anonymous7:09 PM

    I attended CA in Columbus Ohio in the fall of 1970. The thing I remember the most was working in a makeshift studio in the front window of a restaurant that I think was below the school. The only people that could hear you were those on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. I did end up working in radio for a short time in the early 70's, but could not live off what I was making. I ended up going back to college.

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  114. Anonymous9:20 AM

    I graduated from the New York City school in early 1968. Just living in the city after being raised in a small town was a great experience. I loved the school! The instructors were top notch. Mr. Bartel, who tragically
    died just before graduation, was especially helpful.
    The students, including those in the nursing program,
    were like family. I stayed in the city for several months
    following graduation and worked at Lord and Taylor's.
    It wasn't until much later that I began working in radio
    but enjoyed twenty years in the profession.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. was in the afternoon class with ray oakley and paula powell and others. dick hogkin was our instructor.

      Delete
  115. I'm posting this on July 31, 2012. I'm excited to discover this blog. I was just organizing paperwork and came across my CA class picture from June of 1967 in Washington, D.C. There are 17 of us in the class. I lived in McLean Gardens in Georgetown initially (like some of the other bloggers) but then moved to a new apartment house in Takoma Park, Maryland, with three of my CA classmates I think their names were Rich Shingleton, Larry Hiett and Jim Siek,

    I had a great experience with CA. Got lucky and got a job in radio a few weeks before graduation. Worked in radio for quite a while, first in entertainment as a DJ (WSVS, WLPM, WFOG, WNOR) and later as an international broadcaster for Voice of America news where I was a foreign correspondent and Bureau Chief in Bangkok and Deputy Director in London for years.

    I still use my broadcasting experience in my present job. I had a studio built recently where I interview newsmakers in the auto industry for an online television show called "AutoFocus," accessible at NADAFrontPage.com (NADA-TV).

    I'm currently writing a memoir that will include a whole bunch of fun stories about radio days.

    I'm reachable at davidfhyatt@yahoo.com. Would love to hear from fellow CA grads.

    ReplyDelete
  116. Ed Nessel11:52 AM

    I attended one of the first classes in either the summer or fall of 1965 in Atlanta.
    I remember a Rick Kondy. I know there were others but just cant pull up their names.
    I landed a job at WKXI the FM side of WQXI and then went off to Southern Illinois University. I worked at radio stations in Carbondale, Il, Evanston, Il and Marion , Il.
    Would love to hear from anyone from those classes in Atlanta!
    Best
    Ed Nessel
    enessel@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  117. Anonymous8:42 AM

    Ed Nessel...did you ever teach or assist at CA Atlanta after your graduation.
    RF

    ReplyDelete
  118. Anonymous2:53 PM

    I came upon this blog the other night and enjoyed reading every entry. I went to Career Academy back in 1968-1969. I did graduate and worked about 20 years in the radio business before signing off for the last time.

    When I think back about my time in radio I’m often reminded of the Joni Mitchell song, when she sang, “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone…they pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

    I went to college at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. One thing led to another and I eventually flunked a chemistry class and lost my 2-S status in the draft, and was about to be drafted unless I enrolled in another school, but it had to be a trade school, not a university.

    One afternoon I was sitting with some friends pondering my plight in life and someone lit a cigarette. On the matchbook cover it said something like, “You too can be a disc jockey.” I read the ad and there was a phone number to call, so I called it. Honest to God, that cliché is how it all started for me.

    I went to the main school in Milwaukee and spoke with a couple of people there to learn about the program and shortly after I was enrolled. I could have gone to many cities but chose to go to their Hollywood, California School, which had just opened up and it was quite the adventure for a 19 year old boy from Wisconsin. Besides learning about radio, I also saw the old Hollywood of the of the Turner Classic Movies era merging with the Hippie Culture of the present. This was after all 1968.

    Six months later, I had graduated and was working at a small radio station. Eventually the draft caught up with me and into the army I went. I was extremely fortunate and ended up working in Armed Forces Radio.

    I do have many fond memories of my days at CA and I have often wondered what happened to all of the people that went to classes with me. I remember those little booths where we had to listen to records and then repeat the lines…over and over. The best part of the day was when we went into the radio station and did simulated shows. The school had it a network studio and a local studio. If you worked the local studio you had to back time everything so that you would join the network at the top of the hour. It truly was a great experience, because when I did get out there in the world, the little stations I first worked at had national news or sports that you had to join at a precise time.

    Most of us were housed at what I seem to remember was the Carlton Way Hotel, which was on the corner of Carlton Way and North Serrano Avenue in Hollywood between Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset. It was an odd place to stay in that it was probably at one time a high end facility but by 1968, it was a tired old soul.

    A strange group of people were housed there…two or three hookers who must have been told to leave us kids alone because they rarely spoke to us, a couple of old time Hollywood lady actors, and us kids who were going to school at CA.

    We didn’t have televisions in our rooms, so everyone would gather in the TV room off of the lobby. I remember the older lady actors would always come down stairs, still wearing their makeup and clothes from the 1940’s. It was quite the eclectic group.

    Our graduation was quite the event. It was held at the old Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, near Highland Street. This was the location of the first Academy Awards back in the 1920’s. In fact, our ceremony was in the same room. Gary Owens of “Laugh In” fame was the guest speaker.

    We had two instructors. One was an older fellow, who was a bit on the ornery side, but his intentions were good, and the other one was Mr. Chamberlin, who was excellent. In fact about five years later while working at a radio station, I ran into him in Milwaukee
    where he was a teacher at UWM Milwaukee.

    In later years, I do remember people making fun of Career Academy, but I can honestly say that it opened the door of broadcasting for me and I have always been grateful.

    John

    ReplyDelete
  119. Anonymous2:22 PM

    I am amazed that there is a blog regarding Career Academy.

    I too, spent my time in those hallowed halls. I attended the school in Washington, DC from Oct, 69 through Feb, 70. I was hard sold on it by some character that came to my house with a tape recorder. He recorded me reading a script which he supplied. Within days, he called to say I had been accepted due to my exceptional recording. Needless to say, that was pretty much the routine used on all their prospects.

    After being away from the school for some time, I came to the realization that it was a pure rip off.

    I worked under the instructors, Tony Phillips, Gary Bevan, and Frank Morrock. Gary Bevan and I remained friends for several years afterwards.

    I was able to leave the school early since I was first in my class to get hired.

    That first job was in a small farming community, Wellsboro, PA. I had grown up near Baltimore under the influence of a lot of R & B / Soul music. That music was rarely heard on Tioga county's only radio station. I was hired to be the crazy, night time DJ, aimed at the teens and kids. Prior to my introducing dance music, everything was hard rock and "oh wow man" hippie music.

    The peak of my Wellsboro career was a night time sock hop in the parking lot of the local Dairy Queen. It was packed and was a real hit in the Summer of 1970.

    From there, I worked for a company that put on a new station on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Then to Up State New York in Elmira.

    After that, I was fortunate to get a tape into the hands of the late radio consultant, Thom McMurray. Thom took me to WLOB in Portland Maine. There, I learned modern day top 40 formatting and how to shut up / play the hits. I learned how to entertain without being dirty.

    From there I went to mornings at the most powerful AM station in the world, XEROK (Juarez, Mexico), with studio in El Paso. This was a 150k watt AM station, heard nearly everywhere West of the Mississippi River.

    X-ROK introduced me to legendary, John Long. John took me with him for a short stint at KRUX in Phoenix.

    I later worked in New Haven, Jacksonville, Charleston, SC, Memphis, Houston, Augusta, GA, and Baltimore.

    I left radio in 1998 as I felt the biz had become sterile and too computerized, as it is today.

    It was a great ride, while it lasted. But, it all started at Career Academy, with which I would have never entered the industry. I even have a class ring. I bet you're impressed now.

    Many class members had speech impediments and some students were basically illiterate (such as one of the previous posters who has serious spelling trouble) that resented the school for accepting him as a student just to take his money..

    There were also many fat headed egos. One of which, thought he was going to be the first hire from my class. When Bevan announced my name instead of his, that guy nearly cried.

    I've had the honor of running into some other CA grads over the years. Although only one was from the same graduating class. If you happen to have been from the 10/69-2/70, Wash, DC class please contact me.

    Paul / Beauregard2004@comcast.net

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  120. Tom Williams CA Columbus, Ohio probably 1968, I can't say for sure.
    I do know I loved that time, and I got a lot out of the school. I would love to find classmates!

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  121. Anonymous5:28 PM

    12-20-12. I attended CA in Milwaukee, WI. Graduated in Spring or Summer of 1968 with a certificate for Medical Assisting. Most of the students lived in nearby "dorms" but some of us had to stay with families in the community. This was set up through the school. I lived with a doctor & family in Whitefish Bay & worked for them while attending school. Met a great bunch of friends while attending school, but unfortunately I have lost track of them over the years. If anyone out there remembers me (Barb Ellis), please write on the blog.

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  122. drea&david collectables10:51 PM

    this is for jose fritzif your interested i have all 100 lessons son lp'if i read correctly you found a couple from the flea market.i have the rest of the collection and more from the school email me if your interested at beautifuldrea@comcast.net

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  123. Joe Beail4:36 PM

    I attended Career Academy's Washington, D.C. center. Graduated in October 1971. They got me my first job in Salisbury, MD. Still in radio after 42 years working in Maryland, Virginia and Georgia. I remember listening to those records.

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  124. Joe Beail4:37 PM

    I attended Career Academy's Washington, D.C. center. Graduated in October 1971. They got me my first job in Salisbury, MD. Still in radio after 42 years working in Maryland, Virginia and Georgia. I remember listening to those records.

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  125. I graduated Career Academy of Broadcasting in Washington, D.C., in January 1966. The school was located at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., and also had courses in Dental Assisting, Dental Tech, Medical Assisting, and Medical Tech. The only instructor I can remember was Bob Marks (a really good guy) and, in fact, it was a search for him that led me to this page. I enjoyed CA immensely and I remember a visit from NBC sportscaster Curt Gowdy, one of the "senior faculty" members. It was a bit amusing because he looked like crap and blamed it on a bad sandwich but it was pretty obvious that he had spent a bit too much time enjoying the previous evening.

    After job hunting for a few months I landed a gig with WQAL-FM in Philadelphia and my radio career was launched.

    Over the next fifteen years I hopped from market to market, always looking for a better job and through all this was a P.D. and C.E. at one radio station. I made the jump to TV in 1977 concurrently with my last radio gig, eventually anchoring the 7:00 and 10:00 PM newscasts. In 1980 I became Operations Manager of WTVE-TV in Reading, PA, and finally left commercial radio/TV in 1982 to become manager of corporate television and multimedia for AT&T/Lucent Technologies until my retirement in 2004. It all started at CA, where the coursework gave me a leg up over those who were trying to break into the business cold.

    The absolute best thing to come out of my time at CA was that I met my wife there; she was a student in the Medical Assisting class. Now, 46 years later, we're still happily married. Thank you, Career Academy!

    If anyone remembers me or Bob Marks or has a way of contacting him, please send me an email at pataxpayers@gmail.com, my political activism address.

    David Baldinger

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  126. Excellent, David ... excellent.
    Loved reading this ... "feel good" story, for sure. Bob Jump

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  127. Graduated from Career Academy Atlanta, Spring 1970.Instructors were Dan Rotunda,Mitch Leopard and Ed Hastings.We lived at The Hideaway Club Apts.Peachtree Hills near Lenox.

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  128. Lloyd Davis2:43 PM

    washington d.c. class of spring, 1966. i was the greenest small town kid on earth in the big city...living on my own less than a year out of high school --worked all summer and fall of '65 and winter of early '66 to save up the $210 fee! hartnett hall...good lord, the memories...met a pentagon secretary living there and was smitten...don't know what ever happened to her. robert st john and fran allison both came to visit us during that spring term. john oakvick was the big honcho, giving his welcoming lecture and i interrupted him to ask if i could borrow a pen....behind him, our course leader, bob marks, just stood there aghast, shaking his head while "Johnny O" dressed me down in full tirade about my unreadiness to be a broadcaster... classmate karl engle loaned me a pen and we wound up roommates at hartnett hall. karl thought he was quite the troubadore...always playing his guitar and singing bob dylan trying to pick up girls. a group of us...karl, steve saunders, john la barca from brooklyn and i...among others...used to sit in a nearby pub, along with the lovely eileen, and drink into the night. i think the pub might have been called the skeller, but i'm,not sure. there were a bunch of guys from around pittsburg...ken brown, tom gogenauer, dave mc-something or other. i enlisted in the air force a month after graduating, spent two years in air-to-ground radio communications and a year in turkey in armed forces radio, got out in late '69 and got a ba in broadcast journalism from penn state, and worked in and out of radio many times over the next four decades. am retired now and still working part-time in local small town radio WATS/WAVR radio stations in sayre, pa. lost contact with all those people almost immediately after graduating from c-a, but would love to reconnect if any of you are out there wondering whatever happened to the skinny kid with acne from wyalusing, pa. lloyd davis

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  129. Lloyd:
    Loved reading your comments. I was in the class of 68 and also roomed at Hartnett. My wife and I have a place up on 15th & N so we walk all around that area of 21st and P. Of course, they are all condos and very expensive now. I, too, remember the skeller (I think it was called the Rath Skeller) and hoisted many a beer in there. It was on P and on the other side of street. And yes, it's gone, as well.Like you, I also lost touch with everybody immediately after I left. I've Googled names but it just seems those folks fell off the face of the earth!
    Bob Jump

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  130. Anonymous11:26 PM

    I'm the proud possessor of 24 of the 36 lp's. They're in notebooks (12 to a book) with a third notebook containing the course material.

    With the course material is the student's entire work tablet.

    There is no cover art. The notebooks are red in color with 'RADIO & TELEVISION BROADCASTING - NHSC - CAREER ACADEMY'S division of famous broadcasters' emblazoned on the covers.

    The records are in very good condition but, the notebooks have suffered fire damage. In fact, the 4 notebooks were in a box that was nearly full of partially burned papers I was looking through at a junk shop. I don't know if this was the result of an accident, or if the student was a bit frustrated with the course.

    http://toadbaby.tumblr.com/

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  131. TalentAgent2:17 AM

    Greetings, It seems I'm visiting this Blog, ever couple of Years.I was a Graduate of Career Academy/Kansas City,MO. Looking to hear from others in my Class....June 1969. Listening to the Sample Disk you featured on the Blog, Jose......really brought back some fond memories. As of this writing, I have ran into only 2 guys that attended the KCMO School. Especailly looking to hear from Steven E. Bryant. Contact me through this Blog....or my email address:talent_consultants@yahoo

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  132. Anonymous8:02 PM

    So this has been interesting to read through the postings for CAB and I have learned much. I attend CAB Washington DC from June through Sept 1973 and landed a job as DJ on WIYQ Johnstown, PA. It was a great gig but my girlfriend (now wife) convinced me to go onto college which I did. Everything I have read about the system and the instructors rings true. I must admit I did not recall the names but they sound familiar. We had a decent class altho' I do not think we were full class, maybe a dozen and we went a full day not a half day. Three fellas and I rented an apartment three or four blocks from the school. I enjoyed my time there and got my FCC Class 3 license which later expired. One amazing development was that in August they announced the "semester" was being increased from four to six months in order to provide a fuller academic experience. The additional two months were somewhat optional as I had secured my job early and left in September and received my certificate (which I cannot find).Overall I found it to be helpful and provided preparation for me when I went to college. So great to know there were so many other students and to find out some of the history of the organization. I always wondered what happened to it. Thanks for sharing your experience. BTW I did end up hosting a program on the college station and broadcasting the baseball games which had not been done before.
    Keith Miller CAB Class of 9/1973

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  133. My name is Daniel A. Johnson, I attended C.A in Atlanta around 1970, a number of us lived at a place called hide away apts. would like to know if anyone here remembers this time. Dan Rotundo was one of the instructors, and I remember Vincent Price came by the studio and Put a naration to one of his documentaries , and sign autographs. I still have our graduating class group photo, but they did get my first name wrong on the photo, would really like to hear from anyone who attended during this time.

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  134. I was in the medical assistants program at Career Academy in Columbus Ohio in 1967. Any other alumni from that time? I graduated the program around October 1967. The School was right down town, at Broad and High.

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    1. Not a graduate, but was an MA instructor from Feb 1968 till Feb 1969. Helped teach 6 AM/PM classes and graduations at the Southern Hotel. rjmoore6@roadrunner.com

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  135. Anonymous1:09 AM

    I also went to CA 69-70 lived with one of the instructors his name was Ed Hastings, at Hide away apts. Dan Rotundo was a instructor also, had lots of fun. Left there for 1st radio job at WKIZ in Key West Fa.

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    1. Awesome , I went there too, also lived hideaway club apts. I remember the sauna and swimming pool, also had a friend named Bruce that drove a 60 something t-top corvette, Awesome : )

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  136. March 13, 2014

    I graduated from the CAB in Hollywood, CA in October 1970. The school was located on the SE corner of the intersection of Hollywood Blvd and La Brea. I attended the morning session, instructed by Ed Said, Pat Tan, Lyn Muzzy and one other instructor whose name escapes me. I enjoyed the experience and it resulted in a radio job at KDOT in Scottsdale, AZ, which I got through the direct involvement of my CA instructors. I ran the board, broadcast the news and sports, cut commercials, and did some on the scene sports reporting. It was a great experience.

    Several fond memories of CA pop into mind. One was being invited by Merle Harmon, one of the CA board members, to do a mock broadcast of a Milwaukee Brewers/LA Angels game in the booth next to the one in which he did the real broadcast from Angels Stadium. My partner was Jim Zrake, who went on to a successful career in broadcasting and entertainment. Mr. Harmon gave Jim and me a favorable assessment of our performance, which was quite a boost for our aspirations. Another memory was being given a tour of KMPC by Gary Owens. I also recall the head of CA, well-known international broadcaster Robert St. John, visiting the school. Our graduation was held at the Hotel Roosevelt in the same room where the first Academy Awards were presented.

    I left my $440/month radio job to return to college and go to law school. But the rest of my career benefited from the confidence instilled by CA and the broadcasting experience made possible by CA.

    Jon Reid

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  137. Anonymous5:51 PM

    They got me too. Boston June to Sep 1970. It was a mill, take your money no matter you stu stut tutt tuss sttuu, ahhh had trouble speaking. I already had some experience and a part time(weekend) offer, but somehow was sold on CA being the thing to get me going. Well it was a fun summer in Beantown, they had the out of town people staying in rooms at commonwealth and mas ave, Lee Leblanc was the land lady. The school was one flight up and tacked on the back of Fenway park about a 10 to 15 min walk up commonwealth from the flop house,aah I mean dorm. We got in Fenway some but then got thrown out when we were caught calling games into little tape recorders, and they promised us access to the broadcast booth too. But didn't happen. So if you had the money and and 4 months to spare, well it was fun. Some of us kinda caught on and got jobs and beat it out of there PDQ. At lease one of the instructors quit during the first month, he got a real job. They did have experience, the three instructors, all small to mid market types. They did give us the basics, running a board, cuing up, rip and read news. The biggest deal was writing one oped script, 5 min long with 1:30 donuts for spots. Which other students read live while you were acting as the big commentator. One of the guys did it as 3 min stand up bit, that one was the best. We did meet the noted author, lecturer, broadcaster and a whole bunch of other titles, The Robert St john. He did not know how to slip cue a 45 record, but boy could he talk and talk and talk, didn't need records I guess. I have since found a bunch of his books, like the Silent people, about Hungary in WW2. It was good. John Cameron swayze was there to make an promo video on the school, couple of the guys with our class, who had clean blazers were in it for background.( John was wearing a Timex, and quite pompous. He preferred to be address by his full name. So we nicked named him, JOHN CAMERON CAMERON CAMERON. His got his big time job at NBC News in early TV not because he was a great report, but because he could memorize 15 min of script word perfect with one read of it and could look in to the camera before the days of TelePromters.

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    1. Anonymous4:05 PM

      I enrolled many CA students and none of them had anything resembling a stutter.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:06 PM

      I enrolled many students in CA and none of them had anything resembling a stutter.

      Delete
    3. Dec 7, 2020
      Hey,
      Anonymous, June-Sept. 1970 who are you? I was there. Tom LaFlesh, roommate of young Doug Watkins (for the 3-6 weeks that he was there) I spent al LOT of time with Dan Hanson (Hansen ??) affectionately known as "Captain".
      Anyway, whoever you are, I'm pretty sure we met soIf you're inclined, drop me a line @ laflesh@att.net. I'd love to hear from you

      Tom

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  138. Anonymous9:48 AM

    Graduated from CA Atlanta May 1970.Lived at the Hideaway Club Apts on Peachtree Hills.Instructors were Dan Rotonda (his air name was Dan Alexander)Mitch Leopard,and Ed "Stingray" Hastings.All the reports here appear to be quite accurate,but did get some valuable experience.Ended up on the other side of the coin,making the music,as opposed to playing the music.Good times all in all.Anyone else graduate from CA in that time period?

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    1. Hey, I graduated late 60's sixties I think, Dan Rotunda was my instructor , lived also at Hideaway Club Apts on Peach tree Hills., I remember my room mate was named Jim, I think he was from North Carolina . I remember someone named Tom too. and Don Powell .Wow sometimes wish I could relive those days : ) . Peace be with you .

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  139. Anonymous4:47 PM

    I was at C A in columbus ohio in the summer of 1967. It was in a now torn down building right across from the capitol building.

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  140. Anonymous7:25 PM

    Posting on September 8, 2014.
    I was in the second class of CA at their Columbus, OH location, attending from October 1967 to February 1968. Instructors were Dick Chamberlain and Tom Breznik, who both had part-time gigs on local stations. It seemed like a good idea at the time, since I was 1-A for the Draft. I enlisted in the Navy, was sent to Vietnam, and was able to land a small gig with Armed Forces Radio Vietnam.
    I remember that the class was almost entirely male, and that Robert St. John handed out certificates at our commencement. I didn't know who he was, and was rather hoping for Fran Allison (loved her with Kukla and Ollie).
    I got the coveted 3rd Class FCC license with the all-important broadcast endorsement, and never did anything with it. After the Navy, my priorities had changed and I went to Ohio State on the GI Bill. Fond memories of that brief 4 months at CA, though. Would enjoy hearing from any classmates still alive who might have a class picture. Roger Rill -
    rrill@columbus.rr.com

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  141. Hi All ... it's been a while since I've been here. Looking to find out whatever happened to Gary Bevin of WHOT AM? He was also a CA instructor in DC circa 68 / 71, I believe. I can't find a THING on the guy (and I've tried ...)

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  142. I went to CAB at the Fox Plaza Building in downtown San Francisco. Spent 32 years in broadcasting. I am now 71 and retired in Arizona. Many wonderful and great stories about KCAB. Including how we used to use fake press passes and get into the San Francisco Warrior basketball games at the old Cow Palace. Kirby was the ring leader has at 19 had such a big set of kahnues. We would got upstairs into the locker room and interview Bill Sharman the coach. Nate Thurmond, Al Attles, Clyde Lee, Jeff Mullins and more. I had a special bond with a rookie whose name if I remember right was Randy Lewis. I would sure like to find out what happened to Kirby (forgot last name) who came from St Catherines, Ontario. I am going to read all the comments and go down memory lane. I also remember the album. Art djartie@hotmail.com

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  143. Anonymous8:59 AM

    I attended Career Academy in Milwaukee during the summer of 1969. Immediately worked at a couple of small town radio stations in Illinois before being drafted and entering the US Air Force. After that, graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS degree in Radio-Television. Worked at several radio stations after that. Ended up doing a morning show in Atlanta, Ga for 22 years. Inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2011. Radio DAZE were very good to me.
    Spiff Carner
    spiffhappens@gmail.com

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  144. Is Denny Trader among the famous broadcasters? He went to the academy sometime between 1967 and 1969.

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    1. Anonymous4:31 PM

      The Famous Broadcasters were the Directing Faculty.

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  145. Anonymous3:53 PM

    Worked for Career Academy as Rep. in Northern Va. sending most students to D.C. School 1966-1968. Promoted to Regional Director 1969 for Upstate N.Y.

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  146. Same here. I've been trying to find Gary Bevin (68-71, I think)for years. If he's still living, I'm guessing he would be in his early 80's. He was one interesting character.

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  147. 3-29-2020 Contacted about this page. Read and read and read.... In the center somewhere, saw MY name! I'd written a para. in 2012 or earlier. What a book of memories. The blazer (shirt & tie also, for men). Went to Milwaukee campus. Graduated the day of Robt. Kennedy's funeral--June, '68. One of my audition tapes to New England, resulted in my being offered a job. Eighty or 90 dollars/week back in New England--where I'd served in the air force. Fell in love w/ a Michigan woman, declined the job offer. I remember the records, the cubicles, the studios, morning vs. afternoon, a weekly vocabulary quiz, etc. One of my biggest memories became part of my life for many, many years. Instructed to read TWO news publications/week. Did that. Kept in the know with current events. Many years later, a live, call-in talk show on the local cable access station in Battle Creek, MI. Any classmates....contact me. BOB HOLDERBAUM, bobhbaum@aol.com

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  148. Sept 20, 2021. I attended CA in Columbus Ohio spring of 1969. I remember Dick Breznick was one of the instructors. Lived at the YMCA on Broad St just down the street from the School which was on High St across from the capitol building. I never made it in broadcasting myself, but my brother (Mark Fogg) got hold of my text book and just retired from WLEC in Sandusky with over 45 years at WLEC and 50 yrs total in the broadcasting field. One of my class mates (John Foster)from CA has been in radio since CA days. I know that several job placements in radio and TV came from our time at CA. Bruce Fogg now living in Southern Florida and a retired Insurance Agent

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    1. Bruce, been looking for you for years. Contact me at"genevafoster@yahoo.com"

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  149. My name is Henry Thomas, currently a songwriter and children's book author. I attended CA in Boston, MASS. during the summer of 1970. I was 19. The school was located upstairs From the Red Sox Ticket office and we found a way onto the roof so we could watch ballgames. Yeah, I was a 'morning person'. There was also a Medical Assistant class & a class in Electronics. Met some great people from all over New England and had waaay too much fun. So much fun that, by the time I graduated, I couldn't even make a decent audition tape. But that's on me.
    We lived in a 'dorm' located at 76-78 Westland Ave., a short street at the edge of the Fens. 'Girls' on the first floor, 'Boys' on the 3rd floor and empty rooms on the 2nd, 4th & 5th floors. And a House Mother Names Mrs. Lee. We were all broke and often shared meals and, quite often, wine. I made some good 'buddies' and never saw any of them again but that's probably on me, too. We had the mock studios and an instructor by the name of Mark Addams (NOT his real name). 50 years later, in spite of how much I partied, I can still remember (fondly) quite a bit of the experience. \
    Speaking of real names: mine is Tom LaFlesh but I write (Country) songs under the name Hank Thomas and as Henry Thomas I have just published my first illustrated children's book: "Mrs. Bahbooshka's Birds"-If you're a CA alum, you probably have grandkids so, you know you want one (shameless plug). It's a great story, beautifully illustrated, about planning for the hard times and working together for the common good. It's available at hankthomasbooks.com. Oh, and only one of the 13 of us in my class got a job . . John Kennedy (not THAT John Kennedy) before we even finished he was hired by an FM station in New Hampshire
    Peace, my friends

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  150. Dec 7, 2020
    Hey,
    Anonymous, June-Sept. 1970 who are you? I was there. Tom LaFlesh, roommate of young Doug Watkins (for the 3-6 weeks that he was there) I spent al LOT of time with Dan Hanson (Hansen ??) affectionately known as "Captain".
    Anyway, whoever you are, I'm pretty sure we met soIf you're inclined, drop me a line @ laflesh@att.net. I'd love to hear from you

    Tom

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  151. Dec 9, 2020
    Well, I stand corrected, while my experiences there are all true, they happened in 1971. I blame Old man brain.

    Tom

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  152. I was in the Atlanta area Career Academy school can't remember the year, thinking late sixties , Dan Rotunda was one of the instructors, we lived at the Hideaway club apartments I believe was the name, peach tree hills area I believe . Are there any here that went to the Atlanta branch ? Still remember the dark blue jackets we wore , Vincent Price visited our studio and narrowed a video there, still have his signature on a 3x5 card.

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  153. Anonymous3:15 PM

    The name sounds familiar... but remember I was there fall 1966
    in the Milwaukee location... 56 years.... 55 years in radio... 73 yrs old and still working in radio sales....... Roger Minnick

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