Roy Norris Wood Sr. (September 15, 1915 – October 15, 1995) was an African American radio pioneer, civil rights journalist, commentator, college professor, and entrepreneur. Wood was the host of the nationally syndicated TV show Black's View on the News. He was a co-founder of the National Black Network, one of the first broadcast networks to produce programming specifically for African Americans.
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Early life and education
Wood was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Rosalie N. (Latimer) and Roy Wood, Sr. Wood's father, a physician, died when he was three years old. His mother, who attended Morris Brown College, was one of the first female black CPAs in the state of Georgia. His great-great-grandfather, Sam Wood, was born c. 1790 in Africa. Wood grew up in Chicago.
Wood was a graduate of Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago.
In 1937, Wood received a B.A. from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1946, Wood received an M.A. in Communications from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He later studied at Columbia College Chicago's College of Fine Arts in Radio Announcing and Newscasting.
Career
In 1932, at the age of 17 years old, Wood began his career in journalism working for Jack L. Cooper in Chicago.
From April 1949 to July 1950, in his first full-time job in radio, Wood was staff announcer at WJVA in Mishawaka, Indiana on the morning sign on show, Sunrise Serenade.
From July 1950 to October 1953, Wood was staff announcer at WIBC radio in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was the first African American to hold an announcer position on a major network affiliate of Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS). In addition to weekend evening newscasts, he hosted record shows and was part of the radio serial, The Oldtimer.
From November 1953 to December 1954, Wood was a disc jockey at WJLD-AM/WJLD-FM in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the first Black radio deejay at the station.
From December 1954 to June 1957, Wood was program director and DJ at KATZ (AM) in St. Louis, Missouri.
From July 1957 to June 1959, Wood worked as a staff announcer at WHFC radio in Chicago, a foreign language station.
From July 1959 to October 1961, Wood was a staff announcer and personality on WGES Radio in Chicago.
From October 1961 to April 1963, Wood was a news reporter at Chicago's WYNR radio.
From July 1968 to June 1970, Wood was at Channel 26 TV in Chicago, where he produced and was the anchor on the Western Electric-sponsored Black's View on the News. During this time, from 1968 to 1971, he also wrote and produced the radio documentary series Footsteps to Democracy.
From April 1963 to May 1972, Wood was news director and editorialist at WVON Radio in Chicago. Wood was a notable newsman at the radio station. During this time, Wood reported on the experiences of Black platoons in the Vietnam War, and the racism they encountered, and often brought news back to loved ones in the Chicago area trying to reach their deployed soldiers.
Personal life
Wood was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Wood said that the injury led to his mother taking him to talk to a psychiatrist to address depression that was manifested by withdrawal and low self-esteem. At the time Wood already had an undergraduate degree, so the psychiatrist noted his voice was pleasant and suggested going back to school to become a radio announcer.
Wood was married to Louise Hurt Wood, with whom he had two sons, one of whom is Roy L. Wood, an anchorman. He later married Joyce Dugan Wood, with whom he had a son, the comedian and The Daily Show correspondent, Roy Wood Jr.
Wood died of prostate cancer in Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of 80.
Membership
Alpha Phi Alpha, Member
Chicago Urban League, Member
Concerned Parents of South Shore, Member
NAACP, Member
National Association of TV and Radio Announcers, Member
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Member
The Black Media Reps (Black journalists organization), Member
YMCA, Member
Leadership
*American Federation of TV and Radio Artists (AFTRA), board member
Alpha Phi Alpha, board member
B.A.M.A. (Southern Black broadcasters organization), board member
Boy Scouts of America, Ft. Dearborn Division, board member
Chicago Mental Health Commission, board member
Chicago Press Club, board member
Coalition of Westside Community Organizations, board member
Illinois News Broadcasters Association (INBA), board member
Operation P.U.S.H. (People United to Save, etc.), board member
Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), board member
Sears YMCA, board member
Sigma Delta Chi, board member
South Shore Property Owners Association, board member
The Headline Club, board member
Honors
1967: Humanitarian AwardListed in multiple biographical sources; however, the specific awarding organization, context, and citation have not been verified
1968: ACOR, Gold Mike Award, Best Editorial
1968: Best new TV show for Black's View on the News
1969: American Friendship Award
1969: Emmy Award, nominee for local TV
1970: KOCO, Concerned Citizens Award
1970: YMCA, Good Citizenship Award
1971: ACOR, Gold Mike Award for Crime Stop
1972: Malcolm X College, Certificate of Merit
1979: Wendell Phillips Academy High School, Hall of Fame.
1993: National Association of Black Journalists, Lifetime Achievement Award
Selected filmography
1949-1950: Sunrise Serenade morning show
1950-1953: The Oldtimer radio serial
1968-1970: Black's View on the News news program
1968-1971: Footsteps to Democracy radio documentary series
19XX-19XX: One Black Man's Opinion syndicated news program
19XX-19XX: Cold Hard Facts daily talk show