Two "Cowboys" – Allie Reynolds and Oliver Willham

by Larry Miller

So....earlier today, I was searching Ancestry for a distant relative who'd attended college in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the early 1950's.  That's when I happened across the 1954 "Redskin," and saw the above photo of Dr. Oliver Willham visiting with one of the school's famous alums, Allie Reynolds.

Who knew?  Back in 1954, when the images above were produced, I was an 11-year-old kid with a passion for baseball cards.  My senior partner in that endeavor was Lawrence Denton.  Together, we begged, borrowed, and ...... well, bought packages of really bad chewing gum, simply to collect the baseball cards inside the package.

Card collectors will know that the '54 Topps cards came out in two releases.  Lawrence and I had amassed most of the first card release before our interest was diverted to baseball, girls, movies, and other activities.  Maybe even a bit of schoolwork.

In any event, Lawrence was kind enough to pass along the collection to his junior partner, and I dutifully retained the collection in an old cigar box, most likely discarded by Jim York, the Denton boarder who was like a member of the family.  But that's another story.

While I readily remember the Allie Reynolds card (#141 above), I could only tell you that I knew he had first pitched for the Cleveland Indians, and that his real career kicked off with the New York Yankees, where he was a standout pitcher from 1947 until his playing career ended in 1954.  I vaguely remembered that he was from Oklahoma, but I didn't know until today – after a bit of research – that he was the son of a preacher and a stellar all-around star athlete at Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City.  With a track and field scholarship, he enrolled at Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater.

The legendary basketball coach, Henry Iba, was coaching baseball for the Cowboys, when – giving injured pitchers a break – he asked Reynolds to throw batting practice one day.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Reynolds became team captain and helped the Cowboys win the conference championship his senior year (1938).  After three seasons pitching in the minor leagues, Allie landed a slot with Cleveland, followed by his big break with the Yankees.

While playing professional ball, Reynolds invested in oil and did quite well.  After his baseball career, business would provide him with another successful career.  He died in 1994 at age 77.

Dr. Oliver Willham, President
Oklahoma State University (ca. 1954)

Back in the 1970s, my bride and I moved to Stillwater.  I had taken a job at Oklahoma State University.  Among my more pleasurable tasks was conducting radio interviews for KOSU radio.  One series was called "Faculty Forum."   The interview I remember best was with Oliver S. Willham, a retired president of OSU.  During my time at the university, the presidents were Robert Kamm and then Lawrence Boger.  I knew Willham only by name, but I found him to be a straightforward and even folksy interview.

I've never forgotten his observation about how difficult it had become for a university president to remove a really bad faculty member, which occasionally occurred – even at splendid schools like OSU.  Willham opined that it was a laborious and tedious task for then president Kamm to get rid of any really bad faculty members.  "Much easier," he recalled, back when he was president (1952-1966), although there were still lots of hoops to jump through.

Then, Willham leaned back in his chair and – almost wistfully – remembered long-time president Henry Bennett, who served 22 years as A&M president back in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s.  Willham recalled how Bennett could remove bad apples from the faculty.  "He'd have 'em clean out their desks and be off campus by sundown."

Oliver Willham was the first OSU president to retire while still in office.   That was in 1966.  He was 73 years old when he died in 1974.

Seeing the top photograph of Allie Reynolds with Oliver Willham was a very pleasant surprise.  It caused me to read a little bit more about both of these gentlemen – both very successful in their chosen careers.

Both Allie Reynolds and Oliver Willham are members of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Ed Paulin (1924-2008)

Another friend has passed away. Long-time Kentucky and Oklahoma broadcaster Ed Paulin died Saturday (March 1st). He was 83.

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The Palmer Marler Carberry Funeral Home was in charge of the March 5th funeral.arrangements. They also provided this obituary. KOSU also provided an on-air report of Ed's passing. We've linked to an MP3 audio copy on the KOSU web site.

A native of Ohio, Ed started his broadcasting career in 1942 at WCMI in Ashland, Kentucky. After a three-year hitch with Army, he returned to WCMI and spent 24 years with the station. He then worked at WMRN in Marion, Ohio. He was a veteran sportscaster and covered everything from football and basketball to hockey and harness horse racing. He even covered a bit of pro wrestling. Ed was recognized as Ohio’s Top Sports Broadcaster in 1960.

Ed returned to school in 1966 and earned a B.A. degree from the University of Kentucky. Shortly thereafter, he became the first General Manager for KOSU-FM in Stillwater, Oklahoma. That was 1971. The station was licensed to Oklahoma State University, and it was a good fit for Ed, who loved sports.

I first became acquainted with Ed in 1973 when I joined KOSU as News Director. He finished his M.A. degree and was working on a doctorate. In 1976, Ed became Chairman of the Radio-TV-Film Department, and I succeeded him as General Manager of the public radio station. I always admired Ed’s even-keeled personality and his keen sense of humor. He was a wonderful storyteller.

When I left OSU in 1980 and went to work for the Oklahoma Educational Television network, Ed and I kept in touch quite a bit; however, I regret that we lost contact in later years.

Ed retired in 1990 and continued to be a staunch supporter of OSU sports. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Micki. Our thoughts and prayers are with her during this difficult time.

Whitmore - Going Strong at 85!

(Originally posted on August 10, 2007)

As a few of us have drifted into active “retirement,” I am amazed at those of our elders – a generation older – who show no signs of slowing down.

Such is the case of actor James Whitmore, who – at 85 – has returned to his roots at a summer theatre in New Hampshire as Sheridan Whiteside in the vintage play “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” According to reviewer Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal, Whitmore did it like the “youthful trouper” he was when he made his acting debut there after serving in the Marines in World War II.

I am not surprised.

Three decades ago, when I was managing public radio station KOSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma, I was witness to the creativity and professionalism of James Whitmore. One afternoon, OSU colleague John Bissonette and I decided serendipitously to drop in on a campus convocation featuring Whitmore at the Seretean Performing Arts Center. We were disappointed that so few students, faculty, staff or community residents showed up for the event. There were probably 40 of us in the audience.

Did that make any difference to James Whitmore? Not a bit.

Coming on stage despite an injury that caused him to hobble a bit, the diminutive actor with a booming voice engaged the audience in a way I’d not seen before. He talked about acting. He talked about life. He shared anecdotes about his career. In the end, he revealed his “injury” to be nothing more than a grand case of spoofing the audience with body language. It was all make believe.

And nobody does it better than James Whitmore – a real professional.

I first remember him as a cop in the classic sci-fi film “Them!” But he’s appeared in dozens of other great movies like Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, and Battle Cry. Television credits run into the hundreds – including classic series like Playhouse 90 and The Twilight Zone.” His portrayals of presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman in the 1970s were especially memorable, as was his rendition of humorist Will Rogers.

Bravo, James Whitmore! You’ve entertained millions of people the world over, and you continue to inspire those of us still stumbling around in early retirement.

You’ve demonstrated that keeping active and striving for excellence is a great formula for remaining “youthful troupers.” Well done!

Tomek anchors at OETA

(Originally posted June 21, 2007)

I was pleasantly surprised this week to see that long-time friend George Tomek has signed on to do some work with the Oklahoma ETV network (OETA). A veteran television anchorman with WKY-TV (now KFOR) in Oklahoma City, I first knew George when he and I served together in the Naval Reserve back in the 1970s. I was a new Lieutenant (jg) and George was our unit Executive Officer.

Those were special years, and our small group (Office of Information 411) drilled together for several years, including a variety of "Special Active Duty for Training" assignments. Folks like Jack Raskopf, Gean Atkinson, Greg Slavonic, Bill Hickman, and Ed Klecka, were a talented group of Naval officers who came from a variety of backgrounds. I had been teaching and managing the public radio station at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, but later went to work at OETA as Assistant Director and then Manager of KOED-TV/Channel 11 in Tulsa. In the 1980s, George and I served together in OI-1018 in Kansas City. Of course, all my old colleagues at OETA are retired, dead or working elsewhere. But it was good to see the photo of George's smiling face in OETA web photos. It brought back fond memories of a great group of shipmates -- and of some good years at OETA.

Back in the Saddle Again!

(Originally posted April 6, 2007)

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Even as a 10-year-old growing up in Nebraska, I knew that Gene Autry had his title "King of the Cowboys" stolen from him by that upstart Leonard Slye (Roy Rogers). And how unfair it was, I thought.

After all, Gene had heroicly volunteered for the Army Air Corps in World War II, leaving his royal cowboy throne - only to have Roy steal it from him. Gene was flying "the Hump" in the China-Burma-India theatre, defending his country, while Roy was back home staging a coup!

With the recent release of Holly George-Warren's biography of Gene, Public Cowboy No. 1, all those old memories of my childhood hero were re-awakened. Not only was I among the millions of lads glued to the Gene Autry radio broadcasts from Melody Ranch, I must have had at least three autographed photos of Gene tucked away in my bedroom. I wouldn't miss any of his movies, which I still re-visit on DVD from time to time, sometimes a bit disappointed with the plot -- but never with Gene!

In the late 1940s and early '50s, kids in our neighborhood fell into one of two categories: Roy fans -- or Gene fans. I opted for the somewhat less flamboyant Gene Autry, whose humble beginnings in Texas and Oklahoma gave rise to a hero we (Gene fans) admired and tried to emulate. Roy, on the other hand, was just too flashy! Both had cool horses and pretty female sidekicks -- and that was usually the order in which we measured the good taste and wisdom of our Saturday afternoon idols.

Gene Autry came back from the war, re-established himself at the box office, and went on to amass a fortune in the record industry, real estate, broadcasting, and sports. He achieved a long-time goal of owning a major league baseball team, the California Angels.

In later years, of course, I came to admire Roy Rogers, too. His devotion to his adopted family and enduring benevolence was truly remarkable. But he would never supplant those early memories of my real hero, Gene Autry.

Some 50 years after I had put Gene up on his pedestal, and after raising my own family and traversing the country in search of a "career," the unthinkable happened. As a manager with the Oklahoma Educational Televison Authority (OETA, the state public TV network), my boss, Bob Allen, and I were invited to an open house at neighboring Oklahoma City station KAUT-TV, owned by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasting. Late for the gathering, we slipped in through a side door and were navigating the hallways in search of the official reception. As we turned a corner, we came face-to-face with....yup....Gene Autry. Conducting his own solo examination of the newest Golden West property, Gene obliged us, nonetheless, with a warm greeting and a handshake.

We had exchanged pleasantries, but there was no time for me to tell Gene how much he had affected my young life. I, and millions of other cowboy wannabes, grew up wanting to be just like our hero. Well, I never quite made it as cowboy hero, but for those few short moments, I was "back in the saddle again"!

Thanks for the memories, Gene.