Before Wendell Pleis came to California where he would teach at Campolindo, Del Valle, and Acalanes, he started his high school teaching career at Scottsbluff High School in Nebraska. Out of the 40+ years of teaching and coaching, arguably his biggest legacy is shepherding to creation and advising the student-run FM station, KCEQ.
This was originally going to be a simple series of posts with a couple of pictures that showed his early years. However, after flipping through the pages of the 1957-1958 yearbook, we found that Scottsbluff High School had its own radio program, and looking through other yearbooks made it clear that there’s some background about Scottsbluff High School that should be discussed as it pertains to radio and Wendell.
The earliest yearbook we found for Scottsbluff High School is from 1947-1948.
It was not long ago that people were toying with little crystal sets, listening for sound that slightly resembled those being made in the radio stations. Pessimists said that radio was just a plaything…that before long, people would tire of it, and it would go out of existence. But it hasn’t! Radio has flourished and developed into a marvelous form of communication and entertainment. It has become an important part of the lives of millions of people all over the world.
Because of the rapid growth of the radio industry, there has been little chance to give proper instruction in the techniques of radio programming. But now educators are beginning to see the needs for guiding not only those who have chosen this field for their vocation, but for those who listen to the radio programs, in order to improve the quality of the material presented.
That’s a bold mission statement. Their radio program would go on for about 20 years. They never did create their own station. Instead, the school had a close relationship with a couple of the local radio stations. The stations would allow the kids to use the station to perform some programs on the air. During some years the students would be allowed to take over the station for a day–whatever that actually entailed.
Scottsbluff’s program started off with two branches. The first branch is usually listed as “Radio Production”. This was run by a teacher who was involved with subjects such as Speech, English, Journalism, and Drama. That branch started off in the hands of Edna Spelts.
By the time Wendell arrived, it was in the hands of the sixth teacher to manage “Radio Production”.
The second branch is the more interesting one at it pertains to Wendell. It was run from its beginning to its demise by Glenn A. Erickson. During the 1947-1948 school year, he taught “Radio Mechanics” in addition to “Motor Mechanics”, “Machine Drafting”, and was an assistant coach.
He would also sponsor a club that Wendell would later takeover called the Projectionists.
Erickson would end up rising to the position of vice principal–he still taught. Like Wendell, he also left Nebraska to come to California. Erickson left after the 1954-1955 school year. He taught electronics/industrial arts for a couple of years at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. He would become their activities director. In the 1960s and 1970s he went on to Robert A. Millikan High School (Long Beach, California) and Lakewood High School (Lakewood, California) as an advisor/counselor.
The Projectionists went through the hands of Jack Frame (1954-1955), Bernard Goerke (1955-1956), and Lauren Schwisow (1956-1958) before Wendell became a co-sponsor in 1958-1959 alongside Schwisow.
This is when Wendell makes his entrance.
He taught Science 8, General Math, and was the Sophomore Coach.
As mentioned above, he was the co-sponsor for the Projectionists.
Here’s what the radio program looked like in 1957-1958.
That’s all the information on this part that we have at the moment. As with all these posts, please feel free to share any information you might have.
For more on the Acalanes Radio Station KCEQ rabbit hole and other Lafayette History Rabbit Holes.
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