Descriptive Summary
WRR Radio Station (Dallas, TX)
WRR Radio Station (Dallas)
Records
1927-1937
Materials are written in English.
84-148
2 ft., 5 in.
Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin
The papers of WRR radio station of
Dallas, owned by the city, which was one of the earliest broadcasting stations in
the United States and the first in Texas, include standard daily journals, program
schedules, daily reminders, registers, letters, notes, and printed
material.
Historical Note
The first radio station to be broadcast in Texas, and one of the first in the United
States, was WRR of Dallas. The station began broadcasting in 1920, with Henry Dad Garrett as announcer, and received a provisional
license on August 4, 1921. In 1924, leading Dallas businessmen including John
Foldberg Thorwald took on the task of reconstructing WRR as a city-owned station and
in 1925 the station took the air with studios located in the Adolphus Hotel. For the
next 14 years, Thorwald was the director of radio for the city of Dallas and was
responsible for a number of programming firsts, such as using radio for police
broadcasts, sports coverage, selling time, and broadcasting the dedication of an
underground cavern near Austin from 600 feet.
Source: Handbook of Texas
Online, s.v. Radio,
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/ebr1.html (accessed June 9,
2010).
Scope and Contents
The papers of the WRR radio station, Dallas, 1927-1937, include Standard Daily Journals, 1927-1931; WRR Program Schedules, 1932-1939; Daily Reminders, 1926-1927, register (diary), 1926; and letters, notes, and printed material from journals and schedules, 1927-1931, relating to the daily operation and administration of the station.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research use.
Use Restrictions
This collection is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact
repository for retrieval.
Index Terms
Subjects (Persons)
Thorwald, John Foldberg
Subjects (Organizations)
WRR (Radio station: Dallas,
Tex.)--Archives.
Subjects
Radio stations--Administration
Radio stations--History--United States
Radio stations--United States--History
Radio programs
Places
Dallas (Tex.)
Preferred Citation
WRR Radio Station (Dallas) Records, 1927-1937, Dolph Briscoe Center for American
History, The University of Texas at Austin.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by John Wheat, February 1988. Subsequent revisions were
made by Deborah Bloys, March 1994.
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Inventory
2.325/B59
Standard Daily Journal (small journal),
1928
2.325/B59
Notes, printed material from Standard Daily Journal (small
journal), 1928
2.325/B59
Standard Daily Journal (large journal),
1928
2.325/B59
WRR Program Schedules:
2.325/B59
Hilton Hotel, Dallas, Texas,
1932
2.325/B60
January 2-September 3, 1933
2.325/B60
September 4, 1933-January 28, 1934
2.325/B60
January 28-September 29, 1934
2.325/B60
September 30, 1934-January 8, 1935
2.325/B60
January 7-September 8, 1935
2.325/B60
January 11-September 18, 1937
2.325/B60
September 19, 1937-May 21, 1938
2.325/B60
May 22, 1938-January 21, 1939
2.325/B62
Standard Daily Journal, 1927
2.325/B62
Standard Daily Journal, 1929
2.325/B62
Standard Daily Journal, 1930
2.325/B62
Standard Daily Journal, 1931
2.325/B62
WRR Program Schedule, September 9, 1935-May 10,
1936
2.325/B62
WRR Program Schedule, May 11, 1936-January 10,
1937
2.325/B62
Daily Reminder (small), 1926
2.325/B62
Daily Reminder, 1927
2.325/B62
Daily Reminder (large), 1926
2.325/B62
Register (Diary), 1926
2.325/B62
Letters, notes, printed material from journals and schedules,
1927-1931