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One Reporter's Opinion: 1914 Revisited - George Turns 92 George Putnam It is this reporter's opinion that it's time to reflect upon 72 years of broadcast journalism. This reporter first saw the light of day July 14, 1914, at a small hospital in Breckenridge, Minnesota – just across the Red River from Wahpeton, North Dakota, where Mother and Dad resided.
The Putnams began in America in 1634 when three brothers – Thomas, Daniel, and John Puttenham – set out from England to find a new home on the shores of Massachusetts. The Puttenhams were an old English family – Aston-Abbotts of Buckinghamshire, England. Soon after arriving in America, the brothers shortened the name to Putnam (as it was pronounced in England).
Among our most illustrious heirs was General Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), second-in-command to George Washington. He was an American Army general who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) during the American Revolutionary War.
Story Continues Below
But let's go back to the year of my birth, July 14, 1914. My good friend, fellow Minnesotan Diane Alden, helps us reminisce:
In 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia, and Germany invaded Belgium. The U.S. intervened in Mexico, and the Panama Canal opened. The United States witnessed the creation of the Federal Reserve and the imposition of what was supposed to be a limited, 1 percent income tax, which ended up with the 45,000-page nightmare of the tax laws we have today.
Henry Ford brought about the fast-moving assembly line and his Model T. The First World War counted 9 million casualties worldwide. Chemical weapons were used for the first time, along with mass bombardment of civilians. America was evolving into a nation engaged in pursuits other than agriculture and survival, and growing numbers of people were employed in factories and offices.
Fashion underwent a major revolution. The 'Gibson Girl' was giving way to the 'untrussed' modern woman; corsets were dumped for skirts and blouses and comfort. Clothing became lighter and brighter, and necklines went lower. Out behind the barn, women were lighting up and learning the evils of tobacco, and were dancing the foxtrot and tango.
The Jazz Age was upon us. A revolution in arts and music was born in New Orleans, St. Louis, and Chicago, with Scott Joplin and W.C. Handy. Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and George Gershwin were stamping their imprint on music. And along came George Bernard Shaw, Booth Tarkington, and Sinclair Lewis, writing hits for Broadway. Silent movies gave way to the talking picture and color, and the number one film of 1914 was "The Perils of Pauline." Not to mention, horse lovers recall that Old Rosebud won the 1914 Kentucky Derby.
Along the way, this reporter met and interviewed "the four vamps" – Theda Bara, Tallulah Bankhead, Clara Bow, and Mae West – and the most decorated war heroes: Sgt. York, Audie Murphy, Joe Cooper, and Col. Hackworth of World Wars I and II. I was in the daily company of Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jessie Owens, Jackie Robinson, and other legends of the 20th century. I interviewed most all of the presidents from Herbert Hoover forward, and I knew Nixon and Reagan well enough to call them by their first names ... before they became famous.
Among my recollections: the devastation wrought by the flu epidemic of 1918, the atom bomb, and AIDS ... and memorable interviews with Dr. George Washington Carver, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Golda Meier, W.C. Handy, and dozens of others. I performed on radio and television from the days of the crystal set to the digital era. And I appeared in many movies – among them, "We've Never Been Licked," "Fourteen Hours," "Helter Skelter," and "Independence Day."
It's been one heck of a ride. Along the way, working with great musical legends: Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., and from the very beginnings with Frank Sinatra. Wondrous moments! Running the gamut of diverse groups, where I held memberships in the NAACP, the Urban League, the National Rifle Association, and a lifelong membership as a registered Democrat.
Some thoughts and quotes along the way that helped inspire my journey:
Brotherhood
My friend Diane Alden told me she found a quote that an old-line Democrat like myself might appreciate. It is her own tribute to me on my 92nd birthday: One man's definition of happiness, said John Kennedy, is "the full use of your powers along lines of excellence."
I've been privileged to live in one of the most exciting, productive, and amazing generations in all of history. In other words, all the way from the ox cart to the walk on the moon ... all the way from shortwave to the most highly sophisticated electronic technological modes of communication today. In my career, I've talked about everything under the sun.
Mine is the story of mobility, travel, and communication ... and in 2006, God willing, we're still going strong and on into the future! And what a future it will be!
From all of us at NewsMax.com: Happy Birthday, George! Many happy returns!
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