Ogden’s Radio Operational Engineering School
Much of the information herein was contributed by many of the students from across the country who know they were lucky to be a student of William B. Ogden. We are particularly pleased to locate and contact Bill’s niece Patty Porter and nephew Jim McDonald who contributed information and photo’s of Bill, Tally and Thora. Thank you very much.
Compiled by Bob Pinheiro
By Jim McDonald, Huntington Beach, CA. Bill Ogden’s Nephew.
The FCC First Class Radio Telephone (First Phone) examination was a very difficult test and required many hours of study to pass. The William B. Ogden Radio Operational Engineering School (ROES) was established in 1946 in Burbank, CA. offering a standard course of study lasting over a period of several months. However, at the request of broadcasters, and to meet the high demand for first class licensed operators, owner Bill Ogden converted his standard course in 1949 to a concentrated course (cram course) of 6- 8 weeks, 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week.
Bill was the main instructor, his wife Tally and her sister Thora ran the office and Major (the collie) offered encouragement.
In 1966 the school moved to Huntington Beach, CA with the first class being held in the summer of that year. The school continued to operate until 1973 or 1974 when the FCC deregulated license requirements and Bill announced his retirement.
If you are an Ogden grad, please read and sign our guestbook and relive those memorable days at the William B. Ogden Radio Engineering School.
Much of the information here was contributed by many of the students from across the country who know they were lucky to be a student of William B. Ogden. We are particularly pleased to locate and contact Bill’s niece Patty Porter and nephew Jim McDonald who contributed information and photo’s of Bill, Tally and Thora. Thank you very much.
Now sit back and enjoy this trip and memories of the William B. Ogden Radio Operational school.
I was barely 19 yr.s of age when I enrolled at R.O.E.S. It took me six (6) full weeks, but with Bill Ogden’s dogged persistence, I successfully passed the FCC First Class Radio License. It literally changed my life and I’ll be forever grateful to Bill, Tally, Theora and Major Comet Zip for making it possible.
I went on to own and operate three small market radio stations. Subsequently, branched out into to become stockholder and president of a group of cable TV systems.
My broadcast interest led me to politics where I served as City Councilman and two-time Mayor of Escondido, California.
My experience at R.O.E.S. was a very special time in my life and have Bill Ogden to thank.
I attended the William B. Ogden Radio Operational Engineer School in January 1964. After passing my Second Class License Test, I had run out of money. I went back home to hometown of Bakersfeld/ O recall Bill Ogden saying “there is nothing lower than a Second Class License holder”. I went back to Bill Ogden Radio Operation School in 1967, in the summer to finish up. I passed my First Class test and received my License in September, 1967. To be honest, Bill Ognden told me he did not believe I was ready to take the test when I decided to go take the test. I was weak on Math and he was afraid if Mrs. Lyons gave me the Math test, I would be “sunk”. I was given the 9 question math test. Maybe it was true that if Mrs. Lyons liked you, she would give you a test that you could pass. The night before I went to L.A. to take my First-Class Radiotelephone License Test, Bill Ogden sat down with me. I aksed him for one of the Proverbial Gold Pencil’s that had all the Answers in it. I recall him saying “I sure do hope you can hear me yelling the Answers to you”. They must have been in the Gold Pencil that I still have. It always reminds me of what someone can do if they put their mind to it. I now have a General Class Radiotelephone License which was grandfathered in 1981 which I surrendered my First-Lass License. I have such fond Memories of Bill Ogden, His Wife Tally and her Sister Thora. They were such lovely people. I had such a Wonderful experience knowing them and attending their School in both Burbank and Huntington Beach.
I look back on my time at Ogdens in 1965 fondly, wish I was back there again.
I remember Bill allowing us to watch the moon landing in July 1969. We slept upstairs and spent long hours studying for the first class license downstairs. Our excitement was watching the fireworks from Disneyland at night. Don’t forget the planes almost hitting our building while taking off from airport. Never forget our time at Bill Ogden’s. Pat LaPointe class of 1969
OMG we must have been in the same class, as I remember us watching the moon landing too!!!
Just 19, many fond memories of the time there, including Disneyland too!!
I have managed to become disconnected with a friend I made there, Jim Moore.
If anyone knows whatever became of Jim Moore (after we both had worked at KRCR-TV, in Redding California in the mid 70’s), please shoot me an email at onsitectr@hotmail.com
I miss to this day, the camaraderie we had at R.O.E.S., there never has been as good a time in my life, either before or since those days.
Take care,
Gerald Dunham
Gerald, Thanks for checking out our homage to Ogden’s. We will place your comments in the Ogden’s Guestbook. We have two “friends of the Radio Museum” in Northern California, We will check and see if they have any memories/knowledge of your friend,Jim Moore. BTW, 1969 was a big year for Modesto-area people attending Ogden’s. If you have an Ogden’s Class Photo we will post that, too.
All the best,
Rick Myers
Radio Museum President
Hi, Rick, and got your email, too!
Thanks for trying, I guess my main hope was that maybe there was some sort of Student List in the records of ROES that might exist to help me out, and/or that someone from our class in particular would be able to help me reconnect with Jim {middle name unknown!} Moore, in that class of 1969.
We were both just Engineering “Operators” of the control room in our years there in the mid 70s, so it’s unlikely of there being some remembrance or connection… in relation to us young lowly Control Room operators.
I DO appreciate you trying. As with all things, if [reconnecting] was meant to be, it will/would happen.
Take care, and thanks for running this tribute to Bill Ogden!!!
Gerald Dunham
After my U.S.A.F. discharge in ‘57 I went to Ogdens school in Burbank. After six weeks of study, 10-12 hours a day I had my First Phone and first radio job.
In retrospect I owe the beginning of my 47 year radio career to Bill and the many hours he personally spent with
our group working by our side seven days a week.
Don Pummill
Class of 1962
Don,
Thanks for visiting our on-line Museum. We encourage you to sign the Ogden’s Guestbook, and share your memories. If you have any photos of your Ogden’s days, please send them our way. Ogden’s had thousands of graduates, including you! Congratulations to you on a nice career.
Rick Myers, Modesto Radio Museum President
Ogden’s Class of 1968
As a high school dropout, I attended “Bill” Ogden’s ROES, class of January, 1970 and graduated in February that year. Doing Radio was a kick, as we say in the vernacular, but it created anxiety and underarm odor for me with my limited academics. But it did serve to send me back to school… with a GED, four years later I graduated with Honors from Phoenix College. I discovered my raison d’etre in Psy 101. I fell in love with Psychology and went to ASH, the Arizona State Hospital to start my career as a Behavioral Counselor. I am proud of my experience in Bill’s ROES; I am ever indebted to Bill for teaching me that I could accomplish the difficult.
I attended Bill Ogden’s Radio Operational Engineering School back in 1971, Bill affectionally would tell us “You don’t have the brains God gave a tennis ball”. I will never forget those 12 hour school days , theory in the morning and math in the evening . I wish I had stayed in contact with some of my classmates .
Thanks for visiting the Ogden Pages; you’ve joined hundreds of others. If you have your class photo from ’71, please send us a copy. We will place your comments in the Ogden’s Guestbook. If you have any more stories, please send those, too—Rick Myers, Modesto Radio Museum President, and Ogden grad ’68.
I was barely 18 in the fall of ’51. Worked the summer for the City of Weiser, Idaho. I got my draft physical and entered the current ROES class. They took good care of this kid from the sticks, and sent me home with my first phone 6 weeks later. Weiser was not my home town, and working nights and weekends at KWEI soon got old. Joined my parents in Grants Pass, OR and opened at KUIN for a year.
The boss wanted engineers and sent me to KIEM/KRED in Eureka, CA, and to college. It turned out I wasn’t smart enough for that and after stints at the TV stations in Klamath Falls and Medford, OR ( all with the same ownership), I wound up as a pharmacist. I wish I had the sense to get a photo of my ROES class. If anyone has one from that far back I would like to have it. I got my ham license in 2000, so I still have a hand in the radio business. I could go on, but will refrain.
I have no problem being contacted if anyone is left alive from those days.
Bud, it looks like you’ve had a great life, and are among thousands of Ogden graduates. We have a few Ogden Class photos from way back in your day, and we’ll forward those to you. Another grad from ’51 was the great television newscaster, Stan Atkinson. We will place your comments in the Ogden Guestbook. Thanks to over a decade of work by the Museum’s Webmaster, Bob Pinheiro, the Modesto Radio Museum is regarded by Google (among others) as the leading source for info on the Ogden Radio Operational Engineering School. Thanks for finding us. Rick Myers, Museum President