The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Dick Clayton

Dick Clayton passed away on Tuesday, July 28, 1998 at the age of seventy. He was best remembered for his air days on WIP and WPEN Radio.

He had a great wit and a dry sense of humor. He was well known for reading "Letters from Mom" on the air. In one, the letter said, "I would have enclosed ten dollars to help you out but I had already sealed the envelope."

Dick was on daily from 1 pm to 4 pm on WIP. He was at the station from 1967 to 1974 during the prime of the station. Then he went to WCAU Radio as a talk show host. However, at that station, listeners were more serious and Clayton's humor never really caught on.

From there, he moved to WIBG and finally went back to WIP where he did the Sunday morning broadcasts until 1982. Later, he would join the staff of WPEN. Dick had a great set of pipes and was hired by many advertising agencies to voice track the commercials for their clients.

Born in the Big Apple (he always called Philly, the Big Scrapple), his family was well off having made money in the real estate market. He went to Columbia University and then the U.S. Army.

After the armed forces, he got into broadcasting in St. Louis at WIL Radio. He was there from 1957 to 1963. He worked in NYC at WINS Radio from 1962 to 1967 and from there, he moved to Philadelphia.

Dick and his wife, Susan loved English setters which they bred. They also raised show horses. He also loved golf, woodwork and home repairs). However, later in life, he was limited by a disease called scoliosis, which is the curvature of the spine.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com