Ten years ago this week, Kennett’s Radio Station KBOA began broadcasting on July 19, 1947, with a staff of seven employees. Through the past decade the station has grown and now has 14 fulltime staff members—not counting Rep. Paul C. Jones, the station’s president who much of the time is busy in Washington representing Southeast Missouri in the national House of Representatives. Here are short stories about the people who operate KBOA:

Charles H. Harrison, station manager, is a native Missourian. He was born in Troy, just north of St. Louis. A graduate of Southwest Missouri State College, he taught school in Troy for two years and later spent three years as a sales engineer with the A.P. Green Fire Brick Co., of Mexico, working in Missouri and New York. He entered naval service while in New York. Charlie joined KBOA as a sports announcer in 1948 and has since that time earned the friendship of the coaches, players and fans of Southeast Missouri by his conscientious coverage of the local football and basketball games. Harrison became manager of KBOA in 1951, succeeding Bill Cate. He has continued his sportscasting in addition to his duties in the front office. Mrs. Harrison, the former Miss Jo Douglass of Senath, is a teacher in the Kennett Junior High School. They have one son, Charles Douglass, 15. The Harrisons live at 606 Wayne St. in Kennett.

Joe R. Bankhead, commercial manager and KBOA’s chief salesman is the vital link between the sponsor and the listener. He calls on the sponsor and prepares the copy which delivers the sponsor’s message to the listener. A native Missourian, “Bankhead” as he is affectionately known, was born and raised in the Pike County community of Clarksville in the Mark Twain region. He attended Clarksville public schools, Westminster College, the University of Missouri and Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, before entering the air force in 1940. Bankhead served until September 1946, as a flight instructor in twin engine aircraft and was discharged with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was employed by Braniff Air Lines of Dallas, Tex., as a commercial pilot until coming to KBOA in August 1947. He and his wife, Katherine, and two children, Terry and Jimmy, live at 310 N. Jackson St. in Kennett.

Johnny Mack, KBOA program director, is one of the original crew who moved into Kennett in the spring of 1947 and started putting together a radio station. His duties have varied over the years from engineer, announcer, news man, farm representative, program director and he has even climbed the tower to replace a burned out bulb in an emergency (when he was single). Born John T. Reeder, (the Mack is a radio name) in Blytheville Ark., Feb. 12, 1924, he graduated from Blytheville High School in 1941. He served as a civilian radio technician at the Blytheville air base during the war. He graduated from Capitol Radio Engineering Institute in Washington, D.C. in 1947. Before coming to KBOA he had some announcing experience at KLCN in Blytheville. Mrs. (Mack) Reeder is the former Miss Dorothy Jean Miller of Kennett. They have two daughters, Terry Mac, 7, and Connie Lynn, 3.

John J. Mays has been a staff announcer at KBOA since May, 1949, and is heard daily on his John Mays Show from 3 to 5 each afternoon. He was born in Elmira, N.Y., Jan. 21, 1926. He attended high school in Brookfield, Mo. A navy veteran, John served as a radio operator from 1943 to 1946. After training at Pathfinder Announcing School in Kansas City, he came to KBOA for his first announcing job and has been here ever since. Mr. And Mrs. Mays were married in 1946. They have one son, Steve, 9. Mrs. Mays is the former Evelyn Perry of Broseley, Mo. They live at 500 Walter St., in Kennett.

Bill Fischer, staff announcer, was born in Nebraska Oct. 31, 1920. His family moved to California and he attended high school in Los Angeles. He attended North Western Radio and T.V. Institute, Minneapolis, Minn. An air force veteran, he taught radio at Scott Air Force Base, and Sioux Falls, S.D. Mrs. Fischer is the former Miss Burness Broom, a Kennett girl. The Fischers have a daughter, Linda Ann, and two step-children, Gary and Joanna. Bill moved to Kennett in 1952 and has operated the Log Cabin, and Fischer’s Do Nut Shop. At KBOA he is a combination engineer and announcer and can be heard on KBOA’s late evening programs and on KBOA-FM.

William J. “Bill” Jones is the accounting department at KBOA. He may be slight of build, but seems to have an inexhaustible supply of energy. Enough to hold down two full time jobs, as KBOA’s keeper of the books and as proprietor of the Jones Office Supply store in Kennett. He is a native of Southeast Missouri, born and reared in Bernie, but he met, wooed and married Mrs. Jones, Phylis, while on duty with the U.S. Army in England. The Jones’ have three little Jones’, Christopher, 11, Christine 8, and Alan, 1. They live at 304 N. Everett St.

KBOA’s electronic wizard is R. H. (Bob) Conner, chief engineer. He is responsible for keeping the signal you find at the 830 spot on your radio dial and helped design the new building. Keeping KBOA on the air has not always been an easy task and Bob has worked more than a few nights all the way through so that when you turned your radio on next morning, those familiar call letters and your favorite programs would be there just for the dialing. Mr. And Mrs. Conner, her friends call her Charlcye are Mississippians. He is a native of Calhoun County and she hails from Pittsboro. They have a son, R. H. (Bert) Conner, Jr., 13 ½. To Bert that ½ is important. The Conners live at 312 North Baker Drive. Bob came to Kennett in June, 1947, to begin work on KBOA. He had previously been chief engineer at KLCN in Blytheville and had been engaged in radio service work since 1935. He received his formal training at National School of Electrical Engineering and Radio Communication in Los Angeles, Calif.

Raymond Patrick Rust is one of KBOA’s combination announcers and engineers. He has been a KBOA employee since 1950. He is a veteran of the army air force and saw overseas service in Scotland, England, North Africa, Italy and France. Ray and Miss Violet Textor of Paragould, Ark., were married in 1955. They recently purchased a home at 1019 Henderson St. Ray was born in Paragould, Arkansas, where he graduated from high school in 1939. After his air force service he attended Central Radio and Television School in Kansas City, Mo., before coming to KBOA. Ray—or “Rusty” as he is affectionately called by his fellow employees—is known at KBOA as a stickler for detail and promptness, as exemplified by his perfect attendance record during 12 years of elementary and high school. His duties at KBOA call for him to be on duty part of the time as an engineer in charge of the transmitters and part of the time as an announcer and at some times both simultaneously, so he is a pretty busy fellow.

Rudy Pylant, announcer-salesman, is another of KBOA’s employees who doubles in brass, so to speak. He is heard each morning from 7:30 to 9 on the “Morning Show,” of which he is the master of ceremonies. In other words for an hour and a half each morning he is a disc jockey. From 9 o’clock on he is Rudy Pylant salesman, and is busy making the rounds of clients who need their copy brought up to date and contacting prospective advertisers and convincing them that KBOA is best qualified to tell about their product or service. Rudy is a native of Leachville, Ark., but is a graduate of Cardwell High School and has attended college at Ohio University, University of Florida and  Arkansas State College, Jonesboro. He began his radio career as a veteran of World War II at WLOF, Orlando, Fla. and was employed at KBTM, Jonesboro, Ark., before coming to KBOA in July 1948. Mrs. Pylant is the former Miss Bernice Davis of Kennett. The Pylants have two children, Pamela Elizabeth, 6 and Jeffry D., 3. They live at 503 Emerson St.

Gaylon Watson, announcer, is the newest member of the KBOA staff. He is a 23-year-old native of Dunklin County, born and raised at McGuire Switch, between Malden and Clarkton. He is a graduate of Clarkton High School where he was outstanding in both basketball and track. Gaylon came to KBOA from KWEM in Memphis, Tenn. He is a graduate of Keagan’s Radio School in Memphis and a veteran of four years in the navy. Gaylon’s wife, Mary Sue, comes from Poplar Bluff. They have a son, two-year-old Rickie Lynn. Gaylon is heard on KBOA-FM conducting the Platter Party show on the nights when the St. Louis Cardinals do not play and on the late afternoon and Sunday KBOA programs.

Miss Jo Ann Jones, record librarian is the youngest of three daughters of Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Jones of Clarkton. Her work at KBOA includes keeping track of some 15,000 records and a transcription library which includes 5,000 selections. Each record requires three file cards to catalog it according to title and artist. Miss Jones, in cooperation with the program director and announcers, selects the music to be played on the programs each day and sees that the records are refiled for the next day’s operation. Her six years of music lessons have been helpful in her work at KBOA. She is now living with her sister and family, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Wilcoxson, at 607 Lester St. in Kennett.

Mrs. Willine Miles, secretary, is the wife of Johnny Miles of Holcomb where he is engaged in farming. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Davis of Holcomb, Mo. Born in Walnut Ridge, Ark., in 1937, she moved with her family to Southeast Missouri in 1937. She attended school at Holcomb and graduated in 1954. Married in 1955, Mrs. Miles and her husband moved to Flint, Mich., where she was employed in a real estate agency. Miles was employed at General Motors. They moved back to Holcomb in 1956. Willine is secretary to Charles Harrison, the station manager and also in charge of traffic control, the proper placement of all announcements throughout the day. Each day she must prepare a master log which schedules each program and, spot announcement to be presented from sign on to sign off.

Charles B. Watson is one of the two Charley team who broadcast the local sports events on KBOA-FM. (Charley Harrison is the other). He also has his own disc jockey show heard daily from 1 to 3 each afternoon and is a staff announcer. Charley is a local boy; he was born in Hornersville July 1, 1927. He is the son of the late Carl Watson. A graduate of Hornersville High School, he also attended Pathfinder School of Announcing in Kansas City before coming to KBOA in 1950. A Merchant Marine and Army Signal Corps veteran, he saw duty in the Pacific and Japan. Mrs. Watson is the former Miss Julia Sue Chailland of Caruth. They have a son, Craig, 9. The Watsons live at 214 North Jackson St. in Kennett.

In charge of maintaining the grounds and buildings on KBOA’s 14-acre plot of ground at the southwest city limits of Kennett, John Abercrumbie is one of KBOA’s old timers, having been with the station for nine years. John and his wife, Gertie, are from Marion County, Ala. He had worked as a farmer and truck driver before coming to Kennett where he was employed by KBOA in 1948. Mr. and Mrs. Abercrumbie live at 1020 Henderson St. in Kennett. They have three children, Flona Genece, 20, Joyce Annette, 17 and Willie Ray, 15. John is a great fisherman, and when he is not busy at the station you will find him on the ditch bank trying to hook a member of the finny tribe in the lip.