Walter Compton (1912 – December 9, 1959) was an American TV broadcaster and radio and television broadcasting executive who had an active career in American television and radio from 1936 until his death in 1959 at the age of 47.

Life and career

Born Walter Knobeloch in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, Compton was the son of Aline V. Knobeloch. He graduated from

Roanoke College Roanoke College is a private liberal arts college in Salem, Virginia. It has approximately 2,000 students who represent approximately 40 states and 30 countries. The college offers 35 majors, 57 minors and concentrations, and pre-professional pr ...

in 1934 and was a member of the faculty at that institution from the Fall of 1934– through the Spring of 1936. He adopted the name Walter Compton when he began his career in broadcasting in the summer of 1936. From 1937–1945 he was on the staff of WOL radio in Washington D.C; notably hosting the ''Quiz of Two Cities'' program in 1942. He was general manager of WAAM-TV in Baltimore from 1946 to 1947, and a charter member of the Radio-Television News Directors Association in 1946. In 1947–1948 Compton was the anchor of his own television news program ''

The Walter Compton News ''The Walter Compton News'' is an American television news series that aired from 1947 to 1948 on the DuMont Television Network Monday through Friday from 6:45 pm to 7 pm ET. Broadcast history ''The Walter Compton News'' premiered on DuMont statio ...

'' for the DuMont Television Network; "the first news series on a television network to originate from Washington." He was general manager of WTTV in Washington, D.C. (not Indianapolis) from 1948 to 1953. He then served as general manager and Vice President of the North Dade Video Inc. before working for the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

during the last two years of his life. During his career he was an active member of the Advertising Club of Metropolitan Washington. He died at

Georgetown University Hospital MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is one of the Washington, D.C. area's oldest academic teaching hospitals. It is a not-for-profit, acute care teaching and research facility located in the Georgetown neighborhood of the Northwest Quadrant ...

, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., US. on December 9, 1959, at the age of 47. He had three children with his wife Frances.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, Walter 1912 births 1959 deaths American television news anchors American radio directors American radio executives American radio personalities American television executives People from Charleston, South Carolina Television personalities from Washington, D.C. Roanoke College alumni Roanoke College faculty