Ida Lou Anderson
Encyclopedia
Ida Lou Anderson was a pioneer in the field of radio broadcasting. She was a professor at Washington State College in the 1920's and 1930's. One of Anderson's earliest and most impressive students was Edward R. Murrow
who went on to a legendary broadcasting career at CBS
.
and moved to Washington state as a small child, settling with her family in Colfax
, the Whitman County seat just a few miles from Pullman
. She had polio as a child, resulting in serious physical handicaps. She took drama and speech lessons from her neighbor, Mrs. Roy LaFollette, a 1915 graduate of the University of California, who had majored in drama and who had performed often in campus productions. In a memorial publication commissioned by Murrow in 1941, LaFollette recalled the enormous natural oratory talents of the crippled young girl.
during the Nazi blitzkrieg of London during the early days of World War II. Ida Lou had suggested this opening phrase to him. During Murrow's broadcasts she would sit in total silence in a dark room and later would wire him suggestions on how to improve his presentation.
, one of Murrow's later broadcasts showed Ida Lou's lasting impact.
Edward R. Murrow
Edward Roscoe Murrow, KBE was an American broadcast journalist. He first came to prominence with a series of radio news broadcasts during World War II, which were followed by millions of listeners in the United States and Canada.Fellow journalists Eric Sevareid, Ed Bliss, and Alexander Kendrick...
who went on to a legendary broadcasting career at CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
.
Early Life
Ida Lou Anderson was born in the south in Morganton, TennesseeMorganton, Tennessee
Morganton was a community once located in Loudon County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Although now submerged by Tellico Lake, during its heyday in the 19th century Morganton thrived as a flatboat port and regional business center...
and moved to Washington state as a small child, settling with her family in Colfax
Colfax, Washington
Colfax is the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, United States.The population was 2,805 at the 2010 census.It is situated amidst wheat-covered hills in a valley at the confluence of the north and south forks of the Palouse River. U.S...
, the Whitman County seat just a few miles from Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
. She had polio as a child, resulting in serious physical handicaps. She took drama and speech lessons from her neighbor, Mrs. Roy LaFollette, a 1915 graduate of the University of California, who had majored in drama and who had performed often in campus productions. In a memorial publication commissioned by Murrow in 1941, LaFollette recalled the enormous natural oratory talents of the crippled young girl.
College Years
As a college student Ida Lou excelled in speech and drama classes and at the campus theater. In 1926, shortly after graduation, she became the college's youngest and one of its most popular professors; she was also a broadcasting coach and radio station advisor. Anderson demanded, and received, maximum effort from her students. Edward Murrow was her prize pupil, the one she called her "masterpiece." Murrow took 19 speech courses in his four years in Pullman. She helped him polish his radio technique with private lessons, introduced him to poetry and classical literature, and encouraged his wide reading and love of music. They spent hours conversing on literature, politics, and human nature, and he escorted her to dances and dramatic performances. Murrow later wrote to his fiancée Janet Brewster about Anderson (whom he sometimes referred to as the "other woman"): "She taught me to love good books, good music, gave me the only sense of values I have."Advisor to Murrow
"This is London" became a phrase familiar to the world as Murrow broadcast on CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
during the Nazi blitzkrieg of London during the early days of World War II. Ida Lou had suggested this opening phrase to him. During Murrow's broadcasts she would sit in total silence in a dark room and later would wire him suggestions on how to improve his presentation.
Later Years
Ida Lou was forced to retire from active teaching at a young age. She died of complications from polio in her early forties, but her influence continued long past her death. This I BelieveThis I Believe
This I Believe was a five-minute CBS Radio Network program hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow from 1951 to 1955. A half-hour European version of This I Believe ran from 1956 to 1958 over Radio Luxembourg....
, one of Murrow's later broadcasts showed Ida Lou's lasting impact.