Remembering the BU Scholars

In our youth, nothing seemed insurmountable. We approached every challenge with the old Mickey Rooney “Let’s put on a show!” enthusiasm.

Read More

Tom McGrath, 80

From Tributes.com: Thomas McGrath was born on February 1, 1936 and passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Thomas was a resident of New Paltz, New York at the time of his passing. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Marquette University in Wisconsin Tom received a scholarship for graduate studies at Boston College via WGBH TV. From…

Read More

Paul Noble Remembers: Eleanor Roosevelt

In the fall of 1959, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt began her series of monthly discussion programs for National Educational Television. It was called “Prospects of Mankind,” and was a production of WGBH-TV

Read More

A stranger in a strange land

From Fred Barzyk: Bill insisted I try to get into the scholarship program. You studied for your graduate degree at Boston University and worked three days a week at the Educational Television station. Free tuition and you got $600 to live a year in Boston!

Read More

Class of ’58 (circa 1985)

From Vic Washkevich Here’s a shot of the entire BU class of 58 (those who completed the year, there were a couple who didn’t) at our next to last reunion, back about 15 years ago. Back – Left to Right: Bob Moscone, Bill Heitz, Don Mallinson and Bob Hall (guest visitor). Front – Left to…

Read More

Prospects of Mankind (1959–61)

From Paul Noble Preparing for a taping of “Prospects of Mankind.” Left to right, Bob Moscone, Dave Davis, Virginia Kassel (behind Dave), Paul Noble, and Eleanor Roosevelt, at Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, fall 1959. Mrs. Roosevelt and her staff. Henry Morgenthau, Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Noble, and Diana Tead Michaelis, fall 1959. Edward R. Murrow,…

Read More

Christmas Shows (1957-58)

From Vic Washkevich Each year, the entire station crew taped a Christmas Show sending up anything and everything, anyone and everyone. The tapes were shown at the WGBH Christmas parties. This shot of Frank Vento was taken when our class had to put on a Christmas show in 1957. With Frank is someone named Jerry…

Read More

A Time to Dance (1959)

From Brooks Leffler Script Conference, A Time to Dance, 1959. Left to right: Paul Noble, AD; Jac Venza, Producer; Martha Meyers, host; and Greg Harney, Director. This was the first of Jac’s very long list of arts programs for public television. From Al Kelman This certainly looks like a collection of dangerous misfits. Actually, it…

Read More

Not the News with Louis Lyons (1950s)

From Vic Washkevich The WGBH viewing audience never saw these two newscasters. Vic Washkevich (who contributed this picture) explains: "Oh, here’s shot of Hartford Gunn (Paul Noble) and Dave Davis (Bill Heitz) reporting the news due to budget constraints and Louis Lyons’ nap.

Read More

Rat Alley Reminiscence (1959)

From Paul Noble Now, here’s a really choice photo, from Brooks Leffler. It’s the entrance to Fred Barzyk’s and Tom McGrath’s dreadful little hovel in "Rat Alley," 1959. It was literally in a back alley which ran from Massachusetts Avenue out behind the Zebra Lounge. The hundreds of resident rats were the size of house…

Read More

Fundraising and payola (1960)

From Paul Noble [We made] a fund-raising spot, done with a Cambridge taxi, in December 1960, in the days before auctions and pledge weeks. It was taped in front of 84 Massachusetts Avenue, facing MIT. I know the…spot [was] part of a campaign we did after the first group with celebs a year earlier. My…

Read More