1957 Roadtrip

This blog is dedicated to College-  and University-based student radio stations as they existing in the late 1950s.   During Spring break in 1957, Bob Lippert, John Schick, Dick Ballard, and I visited many of them.  I visited other stations through personal connections (Bluffton College; Purdue University),    These stations used "carrier current" technology.  In the years since most of these stations have morphed into FM Stations although some have simply disappeared. 

I took photos of many of these stations.  The photos are posted here:

WCCR Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

WPGU, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois

Other colleges and universities 

WCCR Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, April 1957

WCCR ("Cary Club Radio") is located in Cary Quadrangle on the Purdue Campus.   It is now WCCR-FM.

Cary Quadrangle,  home of WCCR Radio

WPGU, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois

WPGU (now WPGU-FM)  was located at the "Parade Ground Unit" on the University of Illinois campus when these photos were taken in April 1957,

Visitor John Schick (left) with WPGU volunteer

Control Board

Control Room

WPGU Building on the U of I Campus

WPGU Control Room,  WPGU volunteer Art Fiedler, engineer

WPGU Control Room
Bert Carlson, Announcer
Art Fiedler, Engineer

Left: Earl C. Johnson, WPGU General Manager. 
Right: Visitor John Schick.

Equipment Racks at WPGU.

Other colleges and universities

WTUL, Tulane University,
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1960
WTUL is now WTUL-FM

WTUL, Tulane University,
New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1960

WUVA, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, Virginia, April 1957
WUVA is now WUVA News

WUVA, University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, Virginia, April 1957
Myron Glick at the control board

WUVT, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 
("Virginia Tech"). Blacksurg, Virginia
Lee Whtehead in the control room, April 1957.
WUVT is now WUVT-FM

WUVT, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 
("Virginia Tech"). Blacksurg, Virginia
Lee Whtehead in the control room, April 1957

WUCB, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
  Marvin Stodolsky.  April, 1967
WUCB is now WHPK-FM

HILC, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, April 1956.
HILC, formerly located in Hillcrest (men's residence hall), no longer exits.  The February 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics contains an article about HILC.  Note the similarity between Photo C and the photo above.
SUI is now The University of Iowa.  A student organization operates  KRUI-FM

KGRW, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, April 1956
KGWR no longer exists.  Grinnell College now operates KDIC-FM     Wikipedia

WBCR, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio, October, 1958
Bluffton College is now Bluffton University.  The call sign WBCR-FM has been reassigned to Beloit College.

WBCR, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio, October, 1958

WVOL, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, April, 1957.   This station no longer exists.  The University now operates WUOT-FM, Knoxville.  Callsign WVOL has been reassigned to WVOL-AM, Nashville.

WRVU, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

WBRS, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, May 1959

KUVY, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

WTAS, Hope College, Holland, Michigan