History

In 1941, DePauw University got its first taste of radio when students began broadcasting on WIRE, an Indianapolis radio station that provided air time to DePauw. At first, DePauw's radio pioneering effort was headed by Paul Fay, Professor of Psychology and was broadcast from Harrison Hall. Fay soon resigned and Herold T. Ross was appointed his successor.

Originally much of the broadcasting on WIRE was live and mostly radio drama. For example, there were popular drama shows on Saturday afternoons and classical music performed by the School of Music on Sunday mornings.

Soon, people realized that WIRE was not able to give students on air experience in news and sports. Ross found out that the FCC had granted Syracuse a license for a 5 watt station, so he also applied for one. When he heard back from the FCC, he found out that they granted us a license for a 10 watt FM educational station, the first in the nation. That was the birth of WGRE.

WGRE first went on the air on April 28, 1949 as the first radio station in Putnam County. Ross, who founded the station and served as Chair of the Speech Department, handed faculty advising responsibilities over to Professor Betty Turnell. She served as WGRE Faculty Advisor from 1949 until her retirement in 1971.  At the formal opening of WGRE, we gave tribute to the president of the University, President Clyde Wildman, who was in the hospital at that time. He had an accident, and was unable to attend the inauguration. But by giving President Wildman an FM receiver, he was able to hear it from his hospital bed.

WGRE carried many different things at first. We would continue to have live music and radio drama. WGRE also had specialty shows that ranged from children's programming to local issues. WGRE also carried many special events like the groundbreaking of the library and the laying of the cornerstone for the IBM plant.

In 1952, WGRE was able to move from Harrison Hall to the newly completed Union Building. Here WGRE had a new state of the art studio. The move also allowed WGRE to expand programming.

The early 1960's was a big time for WGRE. During that time, we were hooked up with the Associated Press for news. In 1962 WGRE changed from 10 watts to 250 watts. This increased the broadcast radius of WGRE from 6 miles to 25 miles.

In 1967, WGRE was named Station of the Month by the magazine College Radio.

In 1986, we began broadcasting twenty-four hours a day during the school year. We have maintained around the clock programming ever since.

When the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media opened in 1991, WGRE relocated to a state-of-the art facility in the new building. WGRE continues to operate 24 hours a day at 800 watts. We became a worldwide operation when we started broadcasting over the World Wide Web in the fall of 2000. Our operation includes nearly 150 students each semester representing every living unit on campus.

Over the past 15 years, WGRE has received more than 100 awards for news, sports, public service, and other activities. Awarding agencies have included the Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters, Indiana Press Club, and Sigma Delta Chi. WGRE has been a finalist three times for the National Association of Broadcasters highest honor - the Crystal Award.  This award recognizes service to community.  WGRE is the only non-commercial station to have been so recognized.

The Princeton Review has recognized WGRE as one of the top six college radio stations in the nation each of the last six years, including a #1 ranking in 2000.

If you enjoyed seeing how WIRE and WGRE looked in the past, you may also be interested in taking the Station Tour to see what our facilities look like now!
 

Last updated February 07, 2005