For those of us in broadcasting, it’s a busy time of year: winter. You know the drill: reporters on every mountain, endless video of salt spreaders and pothole patchers, and wise old news anchors reminding you to protect your pipes. But by far the most cherished tradition is the school-closing list.
In our area, some say it all started with Luther Masingill, the late WDEF radio legend. I asked Luther how school closings were announced before he took the microphone in the early 1940s. He said, “I don’t think schools ever closed back then. We just walked through the snow to get there.” That answer was echoed by others, like the late principal Jack Benson. “We didn’t close much,” he said. “Most of the schools were in the neighborhoods. Some of us had to walk a mile or two, but if they had heat, they had school. If they didn’t, you’d turn around and walk back home.”
Another former principal, the late Bill Eldridge, said he would hold classes for whoever showed up. “If you couldn’t make it, or the bus couldn’t get to your house, we didn’t count you absent back then,” he said. “The schools got money from the state based on attendance, so we would lose money if they counted all the absences.”
Luther checking out the school closings
But eventually, schools started closing, and superintendents learned the quickest way to spread the news was to call Luther and other radio deejays. (There was little TV activity until the 1970s, as local morning newscasts were either brief or non-existent.) The busiest days of Luther’s career included nonstop phone calls, with school officials trying to get through. At the same time, thousands of kids were calling to ask if their school was closed. Luther would compile an alphabetical list, meaning the poor kids of Walker and Whitfield counties would have to sit tight as he waded through the Bradleys, the Dades, and the Jacksons.
When I got into radio, I quickly learned the rules: be nice to all the callers, read the closings on-air frequently, and keep a radio nearby tuned into Luther because the school officials always called him first. It was also important to make sure no one was tricking us. Sometimes a bold 7th grader would call in, attempt to lower his voice, and say, “This is Mr. Elliott from Dade County. All schools is closed today.” I’d say, “Uh, really, Mr. Elliott? I’m a little busy right now, could you give me your phone number so I could call you right back?” (Pause) “Click!” Busted. We had to be creative in the pre-Caller ID days.
Later, TV got into the act. The two-hour morning newscasts allowed plenty of time to show a list of closings. It also inspired a few other pranksters. One morning someone called Channel 3, asking us to add “Anthony’s House of Cheese” to the list. A producer, flooded with legitimate calls, dutifully took down the information and entered it into the computerized list. For several hours, right at the top of the business closing list, was “Anthony’s House of Cheese,” which of course, didn’t exist. But all day, some guy was laughing away, watching this go out on TV to hundreds of thousands of people. We tightened up after that. Although frankly, as a cheese lover, I think someone should start a House of Cheese.
Me and my sign
Today, Facebook is a popular source of information. When the weather becomes an issue, people flock to TV news stations’ Facebook pages for updated school closings. Since I’m the School Patrol reporter, I pitch in to post the latest information, and most people seem grateful. Others find it a great source for humor. No matter how clear the information may be, there are constant misunderstandings. We’ve learned that many people misread “Chattooga” County in northwest Georgia, assuming it is “Chattanooga” County in Tennessee, which does not exist. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of that.
But then there’s this. One day, perhaps my final day on the job, if it’s really, really snowy, and truly every school is closed, I’d like to issue this statement:
“We are announcing with 100% certainty, that EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL in the universe will be closed today. This includes all schools in every city, every town, every county, public, private, boarding, religious, home, charter, technical, elementary, middle, high, colleges, junior colleges, universities, online, virtual, vocational, medical, dental, barber, beauty, business, GED, adult, preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, nursery, driving, Sunday School, Vacation Bible, and even schools of fish. Every one of them, in every state, in every commonwealth, in every nation, on every continent, on every planet will be closed today. There are no exceptions. Enjoy your day off, everyone!”
Within a few seconds, I guarantee someone would ask, “But what about MY school?”
But David what about Murphy nc
David I love reading your blogs. I always get several laughs before I’m finished reading & it’s a bright spot in my life & I’m sure a lot of other people….keep up the good work.
love your blogs! they are so entertainng! you need to write another book!!
Every time Luther would forecast snow and comment that a whole bunch of schools might close,My dad, the late Charles Cohen, used to say, “There goes Luther! Pushing the panic button again!
I went to Missionary Ridge Elementary School in the mid to late ’50’s and can remember rear wheels spinning on ice on Sioux Trail as the car went under and past the now non-existent South Crest Road bridge overpass over it. Where that bridge was, today is pure airspace over I-24!
One of the sadder, more jolting experiences of my life occurred in the past 25 years when my wife, kids and I were departing Chattanooga in a rental car for Nashville, where we had a Southwest flight home to Houston. My parents lived in East Ridge, and as I turned north on “North Terrace” (the I-24 frontage road westbound)from Belvoir Avenue, I could see smoke rising from the spot on Missionary Ridge where the old school was located. What are the odds that the old building would burn down on a morning I was leaving Chattanooga to return home and I would witness the place burning? I was somewhat astounded. Live is full of surprises, some pleasant, some not.
And a big thanks to Greg Barman, my Indiana University campus radio alumni buddy, former WFLI disc jockey and mutual friend of David Carroll, for calling this blog to my attention.
your one of the reasons I check FB daily keep up the good decent blogs have a great and blessed night
School closings, lost dogs, event happenings were all the part and parcel of Luther’s radio persona but I remember when I was going to school or work in Chattanooga and it would be snowing Luther would announce that you should stop and let a little air out of your tires for safer driving. As you drove along you would see folks stopped all along the way doing just that, letting a bit of air out of there tires. What an influence Luther had and still has over the great City of Chattanooga. JL
Thanks for the humorous insights on a very serious subject….to students and teachers, that is! Our school system has gone to a high tech system of notifying everyone of school closures by text and cell phone, but what fun is that? I miss the old days of waking up early and looking to see if Snowbird has put the school’s name on the crawler!
Until I read this post, I didn’t realize that I don’t know what happened to Snowbird. Did somebody just finally get sick of that theme song and chuck the whole tape package out onto the road to get run over?
Unfortunately, Mr. Snowbird got more expensive, right around the time of the recession, so WRCB allowed him to fly away…
Oh boy, during my brief stint as a young WFLI DJ on the morning show, I remember doing school closings, tho I’m pressed to recall where we got our closings information from. But one day, after I announced a school was closed, a woman called me to say “No, Luther says it’s open”. When I told her we were confident of the information, she ripped into me for a while on how if Luther said a school was open or closed, that was it, period. I was kinda shaken. Two minutes later, another woman called for the same reason, and she absolutely ripped into me too. I think I almost quit that day.
I certainly like reading your blogs but I also enjoy the comments. “You funny, David Carroll”.
Hilarious! Thank you!
Fond memories of my days at WDEF with Luther. Remembering one time in the mid 80’s Rick Sharp, his producer, calling me one morning about 4:AM to come in and help gather the closing information because snow was coming. And it did. Always think of that when I hear someone mention Luther.