About J.E. Pulwers, Ph.D.

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04a785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Press of Battle</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Press of Battle"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Book"><U>The Book</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reviews"><U>Reviews</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Media Review"><U>Media Review</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Special News Release"><U>Special News Release</U></A>   |   <B>About J.E. 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This recognition of accomplishment has been the bellweather of the life of a man who has devoted most of his career in the service of his community. </div> <div> Dr. Jack Pulwers is “a man for all seasons.” He served as one of the nation’s foremost historians, a leading expert in 20<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century warfare, worked in the radio broadcasting industry as a program and news advisor to six broadcast chief executives,* for seventeen years, taught thousands of college students American history and journalism as an Associate Professor, News Director and Public Affairs Chief at six leading top-rated Radio/TV stations, network news correspondent for nine years, writer and author of six history and journalism books, including his latest award winning history of World War II news writers and photographers, “The Press of Battle,” author and Editorial Director and network Executive Producer for 365 major documentaries on social and economic problems in the nation, senior announcer and among the earliest disc jockeys in America, a leading Public Affairs Specialist for the Secretary of Defense, skilled interviewer, and for sixteen years, Chief of Broadcasting and News supervisor of the largest radio-TV network in the world, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). As a reporter and news director, in the late 1950’s, Dr. Pulwers pioneered live coverage on the streets of the great metropolitan areas of the nation and actually went on the air with full live coverage and actualities. Rather then rely on rip and read newscasts from wire services Pulwers challenged the print media and slower TV coverage of day old news that everyone else had virtually copied from one another. He also began producing and narrating documentaries on almost every important subject at a time when few people had even heard of documentaries. Not only did he produce these programs of great social value, but state legislatures were encouraged to act on many occasions, (as well as mayors and city councils) in the nation’s leading cities on severe social problems in areas that had gone untouched before. Through these on-the-air editorials, news stories, documentaries and special events, Dr. Pulwers broadcast for the first time controversial and vital crisis concerns previously untouched by the electronic and oft-times by the printed media. Pulwers’ courageous and forthright programs made history by saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars in cost-savings in major American cities where he held key positions in the broadcast industry. In its outcome these programs also helped to enlighten the public on key issues never highlighted before. </div> <div> Jack Pulwers throughout his remarkable career was able to capture the essence of important news and build it increasingly as an expected and accepted program block for an ever-changing American radio and TV audience. Born in New York City (July 2, 1924) and reared in the depression era Jack learned early about hard times and what it was to be economically challenged. In those days money or the lack thereof made news. This enabled Jack to develop a hard core news background. His parents taught him well the meaning of having a job and providing for one’s family. This had a profound effect on Jack’s understanding of what was news and what was not news.</div> <div> More important, Jack subscribed to the notion that it was vital to cover the happenings in real time as a voice or “pulse,” in other words, try to cover the heartbeat of the city. Thus, Pulwers famous opening phrase, “This is the Pulse of the City,” not only became famous as a logo phrase identifying his newscasting, but it also became a valid principle in news coverage as well. He brought the streets of metropolitan New York and other cities in which he worked into the news business and gave them life through the concept that he called “instant news.” It simply meant having a news van or car patrolling city streets, 24/7, and reporting into his newsroom in a format based on listeners’ tips and police and fire radio information (these were monitored at all times). To top it off, news was aired after checking validity at once rather than waiting to delay for the six o'clock news and put the story on the air. This procedure raised many an eyebrow and the pessimists called it “a hair-brained idea.”</div> <bR> <div> By himself, and/or with extremely limited personnel, the news was covered everywhere in the city. For the first time Jack brought the city to life, 24 hours a day. This became the standard operation procedure within a year over the entire nation. Most of the time this was done under severe budgetary and economic restraints. For example, Jack’s “WABC Station Wagon” had some 275,000 miles on it and a set of four worn, 90 percent bald tires. After a policeman gave Jack a warning ticket on the West Side Highway for having a set of balding tires, his boss told him he had to “hold the line on these untoward expenses.” Most of the time Jack operated with one newsman/assistant at ABC and ended up covering the entire metropolitan area by himself (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) 24 hours a day, seven days a week sending in from forty to fifty reports, actualities and news stories a week. As flagship station news chief he also fed ABC network dual reports.</div> <div> Jack’s instinct and sense of news never developed overnight. When Jack was five years old he exhibited a penchant for getting involved with news and sneaked into the 96th street West side subway in New York and ended up on a police precinct desk in lower Manhattan wearing a policeman’s hat holding a club while his more than anxious and tearful mother entered the police station crying and grabbing that errant smiling kid from 370 Central Park West. As Jack himself recalled, “But you see, that was news!”</div> <bR> <div> On the air at thirteen years of age on KWKH and KRMD, Shreveport, Pulwers created a series of historic radio events. Who ever heard of a thirteen year old boy reading news on a fifty thousand watt radio station? In writing he did not spare the print media. When Jack was fourteen he had submitted twenty high school stories to “The Shreveport Times.” </div> <bR> <div> At nineteen years of age, Jack was feeding audio reports from the unorthodox location of a phone booth while in the Army in Mineral Wells, Texas, outside Camp Wolters, Texas. (At the time soldiers were not allowed to use the Army Base phone lines).These were then transmitted around the world via short wave (1943) over the budding Armed Forces Radio. This new technique was followed soon thereafter, not from ornately furnished, warm and comfortable studios, but out of phone booths, helmets, trenches and foxholes around the world. Coincidentally, these were the first on the spot, live, instant reports ever heard over the entire AFRS network in wartime. </div> <div> At 21, he was broadcasting that coveted newscast (Esso Reporter on WJBO, Baton Rouge) that only veteran newsmen had read before. In another field, but closely related endeavor, Jack had already been coached by John Wray Young, noted theater director, at Centenary College, Shreveport. When Jack began theater appearances there his popularity soared overnight and he parlayed that into his election as Vice President of the Centenary College student body. He began his appearances in local theater in Baton Rouge with Orson Welles disciple, Brooks Read, and wrote reviews for the local newspaper about theater work in the town.</div> <div> A newsman ahead of his time, Jack was always quick to grasp new news ideas and make suggestions to his associates. In 1963, at WABC, Jack suggested to his friend and associate, Howard Cosell, that the sports announcer start a program of interviews containing news events and newsmakers as well as sports people. After giving Howard the idea and a suggested name (“Speaking of Everything,” SOE), Jack saw the program take off successfully over ABC. SOE lasted on the air for many years and was sent out on cable and shortwave to Armed Forces Radio for American troops, Marines and sailors. In another innovation, Jack copied Mayor of New York Fiorello La Guardia’s special technique of reading the funny papers to the school children when New York was deep in a newspaper strike. He read the “funnies” over WABC Radio everyday for the duration of the strike.</div> <div> In later years (1972), Dr. Pulwers broached the idea of providing more news and special events information to those military personnel who would eventually oversee public affairs in all of the services. He wore a second hat while he held position as Chief of Broadcasting for Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, called Chief of Professional Studies. This position encompassed supervision over studies including dissertations by members of the Armed Forces (for the Department of Defense, DoD) and assisted in the direction of operational news policy for the Defense Information School (DINFOS), then at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. In this work, he contributed many innovations in news policy for DINFOS until the DoD Program Evaluation unit that incorporated the position was closed out at the end of the Vietnam War. Pulwers is still an active member of the DINFOS Alumni Association that helps recommend policy for the current organization at Fort Meade, Maryland.</div> <div> Pulwers recalls that his first radio program was at six years of age when he was interviewed by New York Yankee play-by play announcer, Dick Fischell at Yankee Stadium. In fact, 2006 was the year of his completion of sixty-seven years in the broadcast and news business. </div> <div> Jack was reared on the streets of New York in a depression family, but still managed to see the first Louis-Schmelling heavyweight fight at Yankee Stadium, hold the baseball given him by Babe Ruth and get famous Boston Red Sox pitcher Lefty Grove’s autograph. Then, early in Jack’s life, the Pulwers family relocated to Batavia, New York, where Jack ran a “Boost Roosevelt” campaign in his school and in 1936 met the President and actually shook FDR’s hand as the President traveled in an open car on the campaign trail. The Pulwers family moved to the deep South in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Jack’s father, Leon, a ready-to wear buyer, and mother, Frances, a New York City model, started life all over again in a small women’s wear business. This effort met failure in the last of the depression years. Leon, a World War I Navy veteran, drove a milk truck during the Second World War.</div> <div> In 1942, Jack graduated from Byrd High School, Shreveport, as national debate champion, ROTC officer, American Legion Boys’ State honoree and National Honor Society student. He attended Centenary College of Shreveport, Louisiana, and LSU at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a year before he was drafted in July 1943. In the U.S. Army, Jack served during the war at Camp Beauregard, Camp Polk, Camp Livingston, all in Louisiana, and Camp Wolters, Texas, as a member of the U. S. Infantry, Heavy Weapons replacement battalion. His outfit was about to ship out for the invasion of Japan when the war ended in August 1945. </div> <div> Having already served in radio at age thirteen years at a fifty thousand watt radio station, KWKH, Shreveport, and as an announcer and junior emcee for various live radio shows, including the famous “Louisiana Hayride” and the “Jimmy Davis Show,” Jack rejoined radio station, KRMD, Shreveport, and then continued pursuing his bachelor’s degree (graduation, 1948) at LSU in History and Political Science. He joined WJBO, Baton Rouge under the late newspaper and radio entrepreneur, Doug Manship. From 1945 to 1950, Jack became famous as one of America’s earliest disc jockeys on WJBO’s famous “Club 1150” program. He created the fabulous characters, “Mo” and “No Mo,” who helped to establish the highest ratings of any station in the history of the Gulf South. </div> <div> Pulwers graduated from LSU with a Master’s degree in 1955 in Political Science and History, with an award-winning master’s thesis, “Henry Marston of East Feliciana, Louisiana,” the story of a transplanted Unionist from New England who freed his slaves before the Civil War began and became a vigorous Union supporter. Reluctantly, he saw his three sons sign up in the Confederate Army, all of whom were wounded or maimed, and later died of their wounds. The disconsolate Marston kept a diary for sixty-two years, faithfully outlined by Pulwers in his thesis. Disappointed and disillusioned about life, Marston’s last words were recorded in his diary as he dropped his pen having written “damn you, Jefferson Davis!” The great historians, Frank Vandiver and T. Harry Williams, praised Jack’s work as the best master’s thesis they had ever read and said it was equivalent to a doctoral dissertation. The thesis became the basis for the book, “My Sons Wore Gray.” </div> <bR> <div> Other books written by Dr. Pulwers which received national attention were: the Phi Alpha Theta History prize-winner in 1978, “Mr. Smith Comes to Washington,” the history of how Thomas Jefferson sent newsman and editor, Samuel Smith, to Washington to edit the first national newspaper, to start the two party system, to begin coverage of the Congress, and finally to form the first national press corps. “The Biggest Bang: The U.S. Army’s Information Explosion of World War II” was a derivation of Jack’s 1983 dissertation about millionaire philanthropist and educator, Major General Fred Osborn, and the Army Information Programs, and “Missiles and McCarthy: The Army Fights the Cold War” (publication still pending). The 2700 page work in three volumes, “History of U.S. Army Public Affairs” is in repository at Defense Information School (DINFOS), at Fort Meade, Maryland, with a new abbreviated version scheduled to be released by the U.S. Army in the spring of 2007. </div> <div> Other manuscripts and tapes of Jack’s news stories, narrative documentaries, interviews and special events broadcasts, book manuscripts and essays are in the National Archives, the Hoover Institution at Stanford, California, the Library of American Broadcasting in the Hornbeck Library of University of Maryland at College Park, the Military History Institute and Army War College at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, The Marshall Library in Lexington Virginia, the Library of Congress, The Catholic University of America, the Middleton Library at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the National Library of Journalism Archives at the National Press Club, Washington, DC, the Overseas Press Club of America, New York City, The Douglas MacArthur Memorial Library and Archives at Norfolk, Virginia, and soon to be deposited in the new Newseum of Washington, DC. </div> <div> Award-winning radio documentaries (among 365 produced) included: “The Michigan Constitution,” a documentary series which won Dr. Pulwers a special award from Michigan Governor George Romney; “The Thirteenth: A Study in Crime,” solving a murder through this documentary in Detroit, a fifteen-part series, “Detroit in the Age of Space,” “Murder with a Match,” the story of the New York City Arson Squad; “No Time for Dying,” a five-part series that received a special award from Mayor Robert Wagner on the-plight of the elderly in the heart of New York City; The Ohio State Award winner, “The Hush-Hush Plague” detailing the scourge of teenage venereal disease rampant in New York City and entered in its entirety in the “Congressional Record,” “That They Might See,” a three-part documentary on the conditions affecting the blind in New York, “Report Card New York,” done in conjunction with the great ABC newsman Don Gardner, a continuing series on the New York City school system, a National Laugh Foundation award-winner, “Is New York City Losing its Sense of Humor?” “Institutions of New Jersey: On Verge of Collapse,” a series which achieved dramatic action from the New Jersey State Legislature and an award from Governor Richard Hughes of New Jersey. </div> <div> While holding executive position at Armed Forces Radio-TV, Pulwers graduated the U.S Air Force Air War College in 1972. Eleven years later, in 1983, at the age of fifty-nine, Jack graduated with “distinction” with a doctorate in history from Catholic University of America. </div> <div> Dr. Jack Pulwers is a man of great academic tradition and is widely traveled. He has lectured as a visiting professor for 17 years. He headed departments of history and journalism at The Institute of Art and Design in Brooklyn, New York, Washington Hall College and the Penn Media Center in Washington, D.C. He was a co-founder of the Department of Journalism when serving as an Associate Professor at Bowie State University. In the 1950's, he was a teaching assistant at Louisiana State University. </div> <div> Regarded as an expert in World War II history and military journalism, Pulwers has been advisor to several TV networks on special documentaries. In 1997 he and his wife appeared in the St. Mary Church Choir of Alexandria at the International Music Festival in Marino, Italy, and sang in an audience for Pope John Paul II in the Vatican. </div> <div> Dr. Pulwers spent 62 years in an active journalism career as both News and Public Affairs Director at leading stations in the United States and in the major networks, including as News Chief for ABC at WABC, New York and heading Armed Forces Radio and Television (AFRTS) for sixteen years. Dr. Pulwers left New York' s commercial networks to take a leadership position in Washington to serve his country and American troops around the world . Through his Chief of Broadcasting position at AFRTS Jack earned several awards for his dedication to the cause of American troops, sailors and the U.S. Marine Corps. </div> <div> From 1966 to 1982, as Broadcast and News Chief of U. S. Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, Dr. Pulwers headed the world's largest broadcast network consisting of over 365 stations around the world with an audience of four and a half million troops and a global audience of over forty million (Australia, China, Japan, Italy, Alaska, Philippines, South America and Pacific areas including Okinawa) broadcasting 24 hours seven days a week, news, special events and sports directly and also arranged the donation free of charge of news from the leading major commercial networks of America ( ABC, NBC, CBS , Mutual and National Public Radio, NPR). This multi-million dollars, money -saving gift to the U.S. Government was broadcast around-the-clock by satellite, cable and short wave. </div> <div> Also at Armed Forces Radio-TV, Pulwers brilliantly conceived the idea of combining all network output in space, war, disaster and special events coverage and monitoring all networks during the special event and feeding all in a continuous, unbroken coverage around the world. Network special events were tapped right off into forty-five tape recorders and cartridge machines and re-fed with ten seconds delay to the rest of AFRTS networks around the world: Armed Forces European Network (AFNE), Armed Forces Korean Newtork (AFKN), Alaska Radio-TV Network, Southern European Network (SEN), Far Eastern Network (FEN), AFRS Vietnam Network (AFVN) and others. In this manner all networks were covered smoothly without interruption and fed out in such a way that troops would hear overseas what they would have heard had they been at home listening to their family radio or viewing TV. All networks overseas would get through Pulwers’ ”Program Notes” advance notice on what coverage they could expect during the 24 hour period and the various air times they would be transmitted/ These differed of course from east to west around the globe using Greenwich Meantime as the base medium of time </div> <div> Jack Pulwers cut his eye teeth in show business as an announcer on KRMD Shreveport, Louisiana when he was assigned to open up the amplifier and emcee the various big name bands that came through every week to the Fountain Room on the rooftop of the Washington-Youree Hotel in downtown Shreveport. The Fountain Room was a luxurious restaurant and dance ballroom where the elite of Shreveport society went for its parties and the high schools and Centenary College held their Senior Proms. Used car tycoon, T.B. Lanford, the owner of the 250 watt radio, KRMD, conceived the idea that KRMD would furnish live music every night from the top bands of the land. He would broadcast them as they moved into town to visit the Washington-Youree Hotel and then move on to Barksdale Air Base, Bossier City, the largest air base in the nation, to entertain the airmen of the Army Air Corps. The station would present each night’s show thirty minutes a night five days a week free of charge. Of course, the bands would be eager to get the publicity. The idea worked So Jack Pulwers, kid announcer, sixteen years old, turned the remote amplifier on and dressed in his tuxedo, stepped up to the mike every night, five days a week, and introduced the greatest big bands in the nation.</div> <div> The names of these top orchestra leaders were legend: Bob Chester, Vaughn Monroe, Charlie Spivak, and his Star Dreams Orchestra, Harry James and his Music Makers with Helen Forrest, Jan Garber, Shep Fields and His Ripplin’ Rythym, Les Brown and His Band of Renown with Doris Day and Butch Stone, Kay Kyser and “His College of Musical Knowledge” with Harry Babbitt and Ginny Sims, Tony Pastor, Tommy Dorsey, “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing” and singer Jack Leonard, a division of the Glenn Miller Orchestra with Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton, Tex Benecke and the Modernaires, Stan Kenton with June Christy, Jack Fina and his Orchestra, Louis Prima and Keeley Smith, Horace Heidt and his ”Musical Knights,” Jack Teagarten, Ray McKinley, Lester Lanin, Red Nichols and “The Five Pennies,” Sammy Kaye’s “Swing and Sway “Orchestra and dozens of others. </div> <div> From April 1940 to May of 1943, Jack, as emcee, learned the music business thoroughly and in a hurry. Not only did he introduce the bands and announce their songs but he became friends for life with many of the musicians and singers. He actually joined their groups at the “Big Hanger” at Barksdale Air Base and participated in announcing their extemporaneous jam sessions, some of which lasted overnight. </div> <div> These friendships proved valuable when years later, Dr. Pulwers interviewed hundreds of band leaders, members of various orchestras ands their singers and Hollywood and radio stars, as he researched his dissertation and made special studies on the work of the USO in World War II and beyond. (see, “The Information and Education Programs of the Armed Forces, 1941-1946,” doctoral dissertation, The Catholic University of America, 1983).</div> <div> In connection with his work for the American Armed Forces, the stellar achievement of Dr. Pulwers’ news and broadcasting career was his successful but long battle against censorship and management of news while he served as Chief of Broadcasting and News Supervisor for sixteen years as head of Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS). Throughout the military system censorship and management of news was the accepted way of life in government controlled radio, motion pictures, newspapers and magazines for many of the embedded civilian hierarchy in the Department of Defense. Many military officers in positions of authority sought nothing else but to make themselves look good in the eyes of the general public and their troops and sailors. News management and tampering with GI news for years went unnoticed or was a forgivable principle under the guise of sensitivities of host nations or troop sensitivity in the name of troop morale. For example, during the Detroit race riots the story itself in many stations of AFRTS around the world was killed by zealous and job-protecting bureaucrats civilian and military alike. But these tight knit groups knew every option and technique available to hide or kill news stories. To them, simply killing a story was too obvious, so then the story was cut off because of lack of time or shifted to the last or near last of many news stories. Then the so called offensive story would become buried among other stories and forgotten or eliminated entirely because of “time constraints.” Stories in many overseas network stations were merely killed by top officials looking over the shoulders of the station news people who in turn were threatened about their jobs or were warned to “cooperate” or face transfer out of the newsroom where they could be of no harm; all this in the name of some trumped up troop sensitivity. </div> <div> True, there were a few host country sensitivities but by and large they were not numerous enough to warrant the degree of news meddling and news management existing before Jack Pulwers stepped into the operation in 1966. Under vigorous opposition, Pulwers initiated the first overall news policy for Armed Forces Radio and TV in 1966. AFRTS news was not to be censored in any way. Host country sensitivities would be observed and news which addressed troop movement or deployment or which directly affected troop morale during battle would and could be censored or set aside. The new AFRTS directive written by Dr. Pulwers was adopted by the Secretary of Defense as foundation for further news and information acts which followed the 1966 policy declaration.</div> <div> Internal inquisitions were formulated against those responsible for this policy and warfare internally erupted between the traditionalists and the new policy makers of news at AFRTS. The higher ups in DOD and in DoD executive departments such as Armed Forces Information and Education (AFIE) retaliated with a vengeance. An attempt was made to go further toward complete control of news on all fronts including the overseas radio and TV stations and “The Stars and Stripes” service newspapers. “The Overseas Weekly,” although a civilian paper, was read by thousands of members of the military in Europe. The paper was attacked for “putting out slop as news” instead of straight facts. ”Didn't they know,” upper management railed, “that there was no censorship of news anywhere!” They excoriated the “malcontents” who allegedly created such rumors that there was censorship of news and delay of putting out certain news stories until they were no longer newsworthy. Of course, Department of Defense (DoD) was accused of forcing field newsmen to hold back stories because they were injurious to the reputation of certain members of the officer class, DoD upper echelon management or high level Defense industry. They were accused of killing stories in the name of troop sensitivity, when in fact the only harm the story would bring would be that to a “wrong doer” in the inner circle of Defense or executive or Congressional hierarchy. A more simple derivation of truth in news was to simply lie about the story and say it never came in time to read to the audience.</div> <div> Threats and warnings and surveillance were initiated within DoD for the perpetrators of “these scandalous untruths that there was censorship.” But the noose did not sling high enough or strong enough to hang those who defended First Amendment rights. Opposition burst forth in favor of Pulwers’ freedom of the press, non censorship, no news management directives (all of which were incorporated into later DoD Freedom of Information and Press directives of the Secretary of Defense and the military services). </div> <div> Senator Stephen Young of Ohio, Senator William Fulbright of Arkansas, and Air Force General Chappie James came out in support of the Pulwers news freedom initiatives. These eventually received the welcome backing of network news executives and other officials: Leonard Goldenson, President of ABC-Paramount, Jim Hagerty, Vice President of News of ABC-Paramount, Bill Beutel, ABC News anchorman and others including CBS newsman Ike Pappas, anchormen John Corporon, Tom Snyder and Chet Huntley. The Pulwers directives assured DoD press freedom in the future in all media.</div> <div> As Chief of Broadcasting for AFRTS, Jack initiated the doctrine that no newscast on any DoD medium would be censored, that network news broadcasts for the troops overseas, except for decommericalization, would remain in tact and be broadcast in its entirety and not be cannibalized (cut up with certain parts deleted) under any conditions. </div> <div> Later, some overseas stations attempted to circumvent this by reading local news only and leaving off network news altogether, claiming poor quality of reception caused cutting out network newscasts. When cable and satellite news came into being there was no excuse for poor quality since quality was perfect. Network news would be broadcast just as if the troops were hearing the same newscasts at home. </div> <div> Not only did Dr. Pulwers prevail in assuring freedom of news operations in DoD media but stopped cold the attempt to automate and isolate the great service newspapers, “The Stars and Stripes” by Armed Forces Information and Education (AFIE) in the Pentagon, and furnished a safe haven of employment for many newsmen “exiled” by censors in overseas stations. At his base of news operations, AFRTS-Washington, Pulwers put out the welcome mat for several of these men. Some of them became top newsmen in commercial media after their term of service was up and they were discharged from the military.</div> <div> Since Jack was the youngest announcer in the nation when he broke into radio at thirteen years of age on a fifty thousand watt radio station, KWKH, in Shreveport, Louisiana, he was overjoyed when he took on the mantle of announcing and hosting the future Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis' Show over KWKH. Later, as mentioned elsewhere, he was among the first disc jockeys in America on WJBO, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. </div> <div> In 1957, Pulwers made news reporting history by personally rescuing eighty-five people from the hurricane snake-infested waters of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. As the only reporter on the scene for two and a half days he covered simultaneously the ravages of "Hurricane Audrey" in Cameron, Louisiana, while broadcasting exclusively to twelve radio stations and two major networks. He arranged by ship-to-shore radio to bring in aid and assistance from his friend, General Alfred Gruenther, President of the American Red Cross and from the Louisiana labor unions and labor chief Victor Bussie. He obtained generators, first aid supplies and help for the hapless victims of "Audrey" through Mayor DeLesseps "Chep" Morrision and from the New Orleans police and firefighters. Sheriff William Coci of Jefferson Parish awarded Dr. Pulwers a silver star for his work during the storm. </div> <div> During his broadcasting career, Jack conducted over forty thousand interviews including broadcasting the first radio news reports to Armed Forces Radio in World War II, being the first white man to interview Malcom X, the last person to interview Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first to interview Elvis Presley on his return to America after serving in the U.S. Army (March 2, 1960), the first reporter to cover President Truman's last trip to New York City, the last person to interview Bob Hope and the reporter who claimed the exclusive first interview with the Beattles in their first trip to America in February 1964. </div> <div> In 1982, Jack joined Secretary Caspar Weinberger's Defense Public Affairs News Branch in Washington as a PA action officer handling Defense International Affairs (ISA) in public affairs and Research and Development under Dr. Richard De Lauer, Undersecretary fort Research and Development and Dr. James P. Wade, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research. In summation, for his efforts, Jack won many more major awards while with AFRTS and DoD Public Affairs. </div> <div> In another outstanding career highlight Dr. Pulwers interviewed the renowned columnist and humorist Art Buchwald at the Washington Hospice Center on March 21, 2006 Buchwald was at the hospice waiting to die after refusing to undertake dialysis treatment. The taped interview was made as part of the National Press Club's Oral History series.</div> <div> Among his crowning career achievements was the Uniformed Firemen's Association of New York's coveted honor of being selected to “lifetime membership” in the Association and he received a plaque in its Hall of Honor for achieving through his broadcasting and editorializing better pay and other benefits for New York's Firemen. </div> <div> In 2004, Dr. Pulwers was elected to the Byrd High School of Shreveport Hall of Fame where he addressed joint assemblies of high school students about the direction to go to enhance their future careers. In the next year, Jack’s name was submitted for the records of the Marquis' 2006, "Who's Who in America." </div> <div> Pulwers’ career in radio and television that spanned over half a century was dotted with incredible philanthropy, personal sacrifice of time and money, contribution of thousands of hours of work on behalf of the poor and the disabled. Jack always led the way in the fight for civil rights (“The Englewood Story,” WABC, NYC documentary), minority and women’s rights (See, “The Press of Battle: The GI Reporter and the American People,” “Charting the ERA” documentary on WABC), and the fundamental freedom of the press. In a word, he came out constantly for the underdog, “the little guy” and the socially and economically challenged. Just as when Jack headed up Armed Forces Radio-TV he was a leader in espousing the cause of the enlisted man in the military and the cause of the minority troops and sailors, he also led the way in his research and writing in his books and documentaries to hail the enlisted man as king. So, his philanthropy did not stop at the pocketbook but it went to reach out and embrace the underdogs of society in every dimension. </div> <div> It was also important to note that this same gift of giving that went as far as it did to help make every radio and television station at which Jack Pulwers was News and Public Affairs Director number one in the audience ratings, a remarkable accomplishment. He initiated editorials on the air (KRMD Shreveport, WSMB, WTIX, New Orleans, Louisiana, WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan, WKBW, Buffalo, New York, WPRO, Providence, Rhode Island, WABC, New York) at a time when editorial comment was eschewed in the electronic media. However, each station profited immensely by Jack’s editorial and documentary efforts in dollars and cents as well as national esteem when license renewal time to seek Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval.</div> <div> In 1945, he founded the “Talk with Santa” program and played the part of Santa Claus that thrilled thousands upon thousands of children and adults alike. He brought the Santa radio program LIVE to Dalton’s department store and began broadcasting twice a day beginning in November and ending January 1 of each year on WJBO, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The program was dedicated to the poor children, the orphans, the sick and disabled children, and of course, those children who were more fortunate. He donated prizes on the show paid for out of his own pocket, and initiated new technologies to reach out in recordings to the rural sections of the broadcast listening area. </div> <div> In addition to his regular on-the-air duties, Jack spent hours on weekends on the road visiting hospitals, orphanages and nursing homes in the listening area of WJBO, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Each year for five years, Jack visited as Santa Clause to broadcast from the leper colony at Carville, Louisiana to give its residents gifts, entertainment and hope. </div> <div> During the late 1940s, each year Dr. Pulwers and his roommate, the great Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Y.A. Tittle, helped Gene Quaw, LSU Recreation Director, put on shows and exhibits in the LSU Huey P. Long Field House and Gym Armory.</div> <div> Jack and Y.A. raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities in which LSU was involved. </div> <div> In 1945, Dr. Pulwers founded the great country music band, The Riders of the Rainbow Trail featuring the famous Roberts brothers, Sam and “Pee Wee,” “Tex” Gordon, “Lum” York, future “Grand Ole Opry” bass player, and Junior Avants who was among the top guitar players of the nation. Jack was emcee, manager and played the walk-on bit part of “Grandpa Zeke.” The Saturday morning program was a hit on WJBO and the demand for the music of the Riders was so great that the show expanded to become “The Baton Rouge Barn Dance,” produced and emceed by Pulwers and held at the American Legion Hall on Government Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was broadcast for one hour on Saturday night at eight o’clock over the five thousand-watt radio station, WJBO. The program and the Riders reigned supreme for four years and rated number one among all programs by listeners in the surrounding area until tragedy struck in 1949 when two of the Riders were killed in a car crash near Opelousas, Louisiana after performing in a night club in the area. The program that helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the American Red Cross and other charities went off the air in November 1949. </div> <div> His rescue of 83 people and reporting of Hurricane Audrey in 1957 (already detailed elsewhere) was followed by his editorial program as News Director on WSMB New Orleans where he helped countless numbers of the poor and disadvantaged and saved lives on the highways by painting a yellow marking strip at a multiple accident site. Pulwers was “arrested” and then quickly released for the act but it resulted in the road death trap being painted. The actions of the editorialist prevailed. No other accidents took place there. Mayor “Chep” Morrison of New Orleans gave Jack a personal commendation for this act of courage and forthrightness. </div> <div> Each year during his stay in Detroit, Jack brought four hundred turkeys to the homes of the poor of Detroit at Thanksgiving. In addition to these humanitarian efforts, he reported news every night and served as News Director. It was then that Jack volunteered his own time to produce, narrate and direct original documentaries. He pioneered this unusual air product to serve the community on key social issues and make recommendations for change. These changes were cited time and again by the Detroit City Council, the state administration and legislature as examples which demanded broad actions by these governmental bodies. The recommended changes were adapted because of Pulwers’ airing and editorializing. It was this new technique of broadcasting that was pioneered by him as News and Public Affairs Chief of WXYZ. This was accomplished in a time when documentaries were not even the acceptable course for a broadcasting station to take and was deeply frowned upon by the traditionalists of printed media and old time radio and television. In Detroit, Jack worked with his friends and children’s idols “Soupy” Sales at WXYZ in Detroit and WPRO, Providence, Rhode Island’s “Salty” Brine in raising funds for Children’s Cancer research. </div> <bR> <div> Another first for Dr. Pulwers was the creation, implementing and producing the now famous presidential national telethons. The first was initiated out of Detroit, and featured Vice Presidential Republican candidate, Henry Cabot Lodge, on national television and produced by Jack (under the aegis of WXYZ Public Affairs, under John Pival, General Manager of WXYZ ,and Bob Baker, producer of the famous “Lone Ranger” programs giving executive support). The second was anchored in New York City at ABC under the direction of Dr. Pulwers (backed by Leonard Goldenson, President of ABC-Paramount, Robert Pauley, President of ABC Radio, James Hagerty, Jack Pulwers’ mentor and former Eisenhower Press Secretary as well as Vice President of ABC, Maury Benkoil, ABC production chief and Bill Rafael, ABC Radio Program Director). </div> <div> It should be noted that the type of editorializing and documentary production activated by Pulwers, was virtually non-existent in American radio at a time when it was thought that only newspapers should editorialize and not the broadcast media (Television always took a back seat compared to radio news in this period), Jack’s efforts helped to change traditional attitudes statewide and nationally during this period of the 1950s. Soon thereafter (after Pulwers’ smashing successes), hundreds of radio and television stations were editorializing. Following suit editorializing became popular based on the work of Dr. Pulwers who initiated this type of broadcasting long before.</div> <div> Another pioneering work by Dr. Pulwers was to narrate, produce, and record for Audio Fidelity Records, “Pope Paul VI in America,” the trip to America by Pope Paul the Sixth; the first Pope to do so. Pulwers followed the Papal procession throughout the Pope’s stay in the United States and New York. Jack recorded and narrated the High Mass at Yankee Stadium. This was a dynamic breakthrough in broadcasting and was a first in electronic media. The recording was the only one of its kind and is now a collectors’ item. The entire presentation was produced with superior quality on vinyl disc. </div> <div> During his time at WABC and ABC in New York (1959-66), Jack again was in the forefront of editorializing and documentary production. (See documentary section of biography). He appeared with Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano on 42<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >nd</FONT> Street, New York to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for U. S. Treasury Bonds. He was co-judge with the great painter and surrealist, Salvadore Dali, in judging a charity art contest for WABC New York. This resulted in over a hundred thousand dollars of charitable funds raised. When fires devastated homes and sent victims onto the streets of New York Jack was in the forefront in getting victims clothing and food and temporary shelter.</div> <div> When Brooklyn Jewish Hospital had reached its lowest point in needed blood donations Jack was on the air on WABC and in five days had brought the blood bank back to its quota. When the underpaid firemen of New York were ready for a pay raise Jack led the campaign for the city to raise their pay. When blood was needed as a result of accidents, in many cases Jack always was in the forefront of achieving these goals. Pulwers helped the needy, the blind, the elderly, the victims of drug addiction and disease, in getting out the vote, a leader in civil rights, in middle income housing, housing for the poor and disabled, and he was a leader in activating the food stamps program in New York City, a leader in encouraging vaccinations, in raising money and funds along with band leader Guy Lombardo for the boat racing band leaders’ favorite charities. </div> <div> Jack’s proudest work however was in helping to promote jobs, medical and cash benefits for our nation’s veterans. During the Vietnam War and after Jack devoted much of his time on the lecture platform and on the air to promote veterans rights. He helped such groups as Circle of Friends for Homeless Veterans in Arlington, Virginia, and later gave support to the Families United to Support the Troops. He campaigned heartily for veterans rights in his editorial programs and was leader in many fund-raising causes for wounded veterans such as the “Veterans Bedside Network” (two documentaries) and veterans voting rights bills from World War II through Vietnam. </div> <div> During the 1990s and first decade of the 21<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >st</FONT> century his work on behalf of and historically recording and interviewing personnel about national military service publications is unequalled in American history. This work made a difference and changed public attitudes toward service magazines, newspapers and radio and television. </div> <div> Jack was personally influenced during his lifetime by some of the top broadcasters, newsmen, educators and intellectuals of our time: James Hagerty, Eisenhower Press Secretary and ABC News Chief; Bob Considine, top reporter of WWII with International News Service; Howard Handleman, International News Service (INS) reporter in both World War II and Korea; Edward Hymoff, former network Vietnam Correspondent and News Director for NBC Radio; Edward P. Morgan, leading ABC Commentator; Pauline Frederick , top United Nations’ reporter and commentator for National Public Radio (NPR); John Ferguson, for thirty years the voice of the Louisiana State University Tigers and the person who gave Jack his first job in radio; Roy Evans, Assistant Principal of Byrd High School, Shreveport Louisiana and coach of the Byrd High School Debating team; Ralph Sims, Program Director for WJBO Baton Rouge, Louisiana, housing development executive, and World War II airman hero; Bob Trout, former CBS World War II newsman, later a reporter for ABC; Bill Mauldin, world famous cartoonist and editor of “Stars and Stripes” newspapers in Italy; William Snaith, author and entrepreneur co-founder of the famous architectural firm, Raymond Loewy, Snaith in New York City; Bill Shadell, former anchorman at ABC News; Don Gardner, anchorman of ABC’s “Monday Morning Headlines” and close colleague of Dr. Pulwers; George Ansboro, Art Van Horn, Bill Brophy, Milton Cross, Jimmy Wallington and Carl Caruso of ABC, considered by some to be the world’s greatest announcers; Mel Goode, ABC United Nations’ Reporter; Barney Oldfield, Chief Public Relations Advisor to Generals Ben Lear, Chief of the Second Army and Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Europe in World War II, founder of the Radio-Television News Directors’ Association and renowned agent for the most famous Hollywood stars, including: Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, Hedy Lamar and Virginia Mayo; Major General Frederick Osborn, educator-philanthropist, Director of War Department Information in World War II, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and Assistant U. S. Delegate to the United Nations and Deputy to Adlai Stevenson, who inspired Jack to write his dissertation on the subject of Army Information and Education programs of World War II; Professors Alden Powell and Kimbrough Owen, co-chairs of the Department of Political Science, Louisiana State University; Dr. Walter Richardson, English professor and expert in Tudor history at LSU, Baton Rouge; Professors Dallas Dickey, Chairman Department of Speech at Louisiana State University and Elwood Murray, Chairman of the Department of Speech and Forensics, University of Denver; Frank Keppel, U. S. Commissioner of Education and Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education; T. Harry Williams, Chairman of the Department of History at LSU, Huey Long biographer and top historian of U.S. History; Frank Vandiver, known to some as the greatest historian of the South; Harry Langley, Professor Emeritus of The Catholic University of America and former Director of the Smithsonian Department of Naval History; Dr. Max Bloomfield, head of Department of History, The Catholic University of America; Henry Bamford Parks, nationally famous historian of American history and international relations at New York University; and Dr. Eric Vogelin, internationally famous political scientist, author and lecturer at LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. </div> <div> As for news reporting, during his time in covering news stories, Dr. Pulwers made reporting history in his coverage of Sputnik, the integration of the New Orleans Public School System, the confrontation by police with the murderous Coyle Brothers and their rampage and shoot-outs through four states, the Bay of Pigs disaster, the Cuban Missile Crisis (and the WABC coverage of the United Nations confrontation of Adlai Stevenson and Major General Fred Osborn , US Delegates, with Fidel Castro of Cuba and the shoe pounding, “We Will Bury You,” Russian Premier Kruschev), the John F. Kennedy Assassination, the award-winning dual coverage of the John Glenn ticker-tape parade in New York City and the crash of a plane into Flushing Bay ( 96 people dead), the opening of and the events of the New York World’s Fair, the crippling New York subway strike, the New York teacher’s strike and the newspaper strike, all falling within hours of each other (necessitating single-handed simultaneous coverage), the American astronauts landing on the Moon, the racial crisis in both the North and the South throughout the 1960’s including special events coverage of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. </div> <div> During his many-faceted career Pulwers spoke to hundreds of associations and colleges and archival institutions including the lectures at the Jefferson Room of the National Archives, Washington, DC, the Corcoran Gallery, the Department of Defense Public Affairs, The Department of the Army Chief of Public Affairs, the Center of Military History, the Falls Church Historical Society, The China, Burma and India Theater of War Association, the National Optimist Clubs at Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Departments of Journalism, Indianapolis, Indiana, The European- Pacific Stars and Stripes Association, The Diplomatic and Consular Corps Retired, DACOR Bacon House, Washington, DC, The Newseum, “Closeup” C-Span National Television Programs, the Newseum, Freedom Foundation Elder Hostel Groups, Rosslyn, Virginia, National United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, The Jim Lucas Chapter, U. S. Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, Channel Ten Fairfax Television, The Overseas Press Club of America, The National Press Club, U. S. Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association (USAFPAAA), The Byrd High School of Shreveport, Louisiana Hall of Fame and Alumni Association, Towers Country Club of Long Island, International Combat Camera Association (ICCA), Defense Information School Alumni Association (DINFOS), The Air Force Association (AFA), the American Historical Association (AHA), Organization of American Historians (OAH), Association of the United States Army (AUSA), the Uniformed Fireman’s Association of New York, lectured as former President of the Catholic University Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta Honorary History Society, Sigma Delta Chi honorary press society, Society of Professional Journalists, the National Association of Radio-TV News Directors and The Armed Forces Vietnam Network Radio Group. Pulwers also is a senior member of most of the above associations, honorary societies and alumni groups listed above. </div> <bR> <div> " Pulwers' national radio interviews gained widening media interest. His notable interview with Elvis Presley when the singer returned from overseas to the United States after a stint in the Army on March 2, 1960 created a sensation among bobby soxers everywhere. Jack's questioning of a tearful Elvis brought out a little known fact about Elvis' life. The popular artists' loyalty to American troops and patriotism was a major factor in sending Elvis to the top of the charts in both the entertainment community and among the American people.</div> <div>  </div> <div> After his exclusive Beatles' interview on their February 8, 1964 arrival in New York, interviewed hundreds of people of every walk of life. Dr.Pulwers' interview with former President Truman was considered by him as his most memorable. It took place at the Carlisle Hotel in New York in 1964 when the former President returned to the city for a speech there. The one-on-one interview covered a broad range of national and international issues including Truman's firing of General MacArthur, Truman's negotiations to empower the Truman Doctrine and his decision to drop the A-bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.In answering the latter question, Truman told Jack, the News Director for ABC, that he saved a million lives because of the fact that American troops did not have to invade Japan. Truman turned to Jack and asked where he had served at the very end of World War II. Jack said, "At Camp Wolters, Texas , Sir. I was in the Heavy Weapons Infantry waiting to be shipped West for the invasion of Japan." The joke-cracking President turned to Jack with a great big Truman grin, and as he straightened his hat to a less impish angle he said,"Well, I'll be damned. I saved your ass, Son. And glad of it too." </div> <div>  </div> <div> Jack has spent the first decade of the 21st century writing more books on journalism history and lecturing various associations and interviewing major newsmakers. In March of 2006 for the National Press Club, Jack talked with humorist/columnist Art Buchwald as resident of a hospice in Washington, DC. It was one of Buchwald's last interviews. In December 2007, he hosted the national TV program, "After Words" on C-Span Book Weekend and interviewed best-selling author Alex Kershaw about his latest books, "The Bedford Boys" and "The Few." The books were about about those young men who volunteered and made what they knew would be the final sacrifice of their lives for their nation in World War II."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Dr. Pulwers resides in Fairfax, Virginia and is married to Florence Pulwers. He is both father and stepfather to 15 children and 23 grandchildren.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>