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my first year in engineering at the University of Virginia that I renewed my friendship with Mr. Pawley and his wife.
I had finally become professionally involved with the medium of radio after many years of listening only. After a year of working at the University radio station, I was hired as the weekend announcer at WCVA in Culpeper (which helped pay my expenses at school). Mr. Pawley would come by the radio station to chat between records, and I could tell that his heart was still in the business. When I left WCVA upon graduation from the University, it was Mr. Pawley who replaced me. It was a strange turn of events, to say the least. There I was, training one of my radio idols to take over my radio position!
Afterwards, we managed to stay in touch. I always thought that he deserved greater recognition for his accomplishments on stage, screen, and radio. Consequently, I asked the state’s largest newspaper to do a story on him and Mrs. Pawley. They were absolutely thrilled with the story that was printed and the “renewed fame” (as he called it) that it brought. Afterwards, I searched for years to locate tapes of his Big Town show and finally was successful. I presented him with tapes of four of his old shows shortly after they had moved into their new house, Sunset Cliffs, in Rock Mills. When he heard that famous introduction to his show, tears came to his eyes, for it was the first time in more than 30 years that he had heard a recording of one of his shows. And for that brief period of time, he was once again that fighting editor of the Illustrated Press!
Mr. Pawley was a unique person, as was his wife. They were the genuine article. And they were the kindest people you could ever want to meet. If you knew their whole story . . . how they went from national prominence to near poverty status and how they handled all that . . . there would be nothing but the greatest respect and admiration.
After I learned of Mr. Pawley’s death, I played a tape of one of his Big Town shows and got a little misty-eyed. Rappahannock County and the country hava lost one of the great gentlemen of this century.
Robert Corder is a resident of Richmond.
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