Teachers and Educators in Old Time Radio Collection

Universal education may be the single greatest accomplishment of Twentieth Century society. It can be seen as a victory in social, scientific, technological, cultural, and economic spheres. A society where every citizen has a firm grounding in "Readin', Writin', and 'Rithmatic" has the means to do more than simply feed and house its members. It can develop and support fine art, expand economically, aid its neighbors, and ultimately, marshal its collective intelligence to resist the forces of tyranny, both at home and abroad.

After parents, teachers are probably the most important adult figures is a young person's world. A teacher may or may not reflect the values that their students learn at home, but they are vital in demonstrating and displaying the values of society at large. This role is brought into sharp focus in the Lest We Forget episode "Face to Face" starring Helen Hayes. One of the students parrots his father's attitude that students from other races are "dirty", and it falls to the teacher's strength of character to change the attitude of not just the student, but the parent as well.

The majority of teachers, especially at the primary level, are women. Teaching was one of the few ways for a young woman to enter the workforce, and it was a socially acceptable profession for single women. There were few "temptations" for a single woman to face, and it was assumed that even an old maid had the maternal instincts needed to deal with a room full of kids. Teaching could be a way to pay the bills until she found a husband and began a family of her own. Romantically inclined (even "man-hungry") teachers are a staple of situation comedies, and one of our favorites is Our Miss Brooks which features not only the dedication of a young teacher but the glamor of Eve Arden.

The notion that teaching is a noble profession for women led to the "schoolmarm" in a one-room schoolhouse becoming a staple character in Westerns. Although the one-room school marm was by necessity an independent and capable young woman, her femininity provided a sympathetic character for a noble Western hero to protect, as we see on several occasions on Have Gun Will Travel, The Lone Ranger, Tales of the Texas Rangers, and Wild Bill Hickok. Even Superman was called upon to aid teachers in distress.

Of course, being young and capable, teachers are bound to turn the heads of eligible bachelors. And Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve is no exception. In fact, after the widow next door and her cousin, Leroy's teachers catch the romantic attention of The Great Gildersleeve with the greatest regularity. Many teachers are blessed with gifted students who are a delight to teach, but sometimes these kids come with less than gifted parents, which is certainly the case for Babs and Junior on The Life of Riley.

Before the Second World War, college educated teachers could expect to earn slightly more than their college educated peers in other professions. The following decades have brought greater opportunities for college educated professionals, resulting in a drop in teachers' earning power. As we enter an age of greater dependence on technology and social-media, the social value of a dedicated teaching corps grows stronger every day.

For other school broadcasts, see also: Minnesota School of the Air, Indiana School of the Sky, Standard School Broadcast, Your Story Parade (Texas School of the Air) and Graduates, Graduations, and Commencements Collection.

See also: the historical collection, Education in America.