Wes Wise
| Wes Wise | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Dallas | |
| In office 1971–1976 |
|
| Preceded by | J. Erik Jonsson |
| Succeeded by | Adlene Harrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1929 (age 94–95) Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Spouse(s) | Sally[1] |
| Profession | sports journalist |
Wes Wise (born 1929) was a three-term mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1971 until 1976.[2] [3]
Contents
Early life and TV news career
Wise was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.[2] Wise's father having died when Wise was fifteen years old, Wise had to drop out of high school and begin work at a local radio station in Monroe, Louisiana.[2] Although Wise earned a diploma by passing the high school equivalency test, he never graduated college.[2]
In the 1940s and 1950s, Wise was a play-by-play sports announcer for Gordon McLendon's Liberty Broadcasting System radio network,[4] which mainly broadcast live recreations of Major League Baseball games by means of broadcasters like Wise following the action via Western Union ticker tape reports, and then relaying the plays to the listening audience in a more lively style that included studio sound effects meant to simulate the ballgames.
Wise went on to work for many years as a sports director at KRLD-TV, a Dallas CBS television affiliate.[4]
Kennedy assassination
During his CBS years, Wise also occasionally covered hard news. In particular, Wise provided on-the-spot coverage of President John F. Kennedy's November 22, 1963 assassination in downtown Dallas' Dealey Plaza.[4]
On November 23 at the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald had worked, Wise encountered Jack Ruby who expressed concern that Jackie Kennedy might be required to return to Dallas if Oswald were tried for Kennedy's murder.[4][3] Wise was present in the Dallas Municipal Building when Oswald was shot dead.[4] Wise testified as a witness for both the defense and the prosecution at Jack Ruby's trial for the murder of Oswald.[3]
Wise is a co-author of the 2004 memoir When the News Went Live: Dallas 1963.[3] Of Dallas during Kennedy's visit, Wise has said, "Let's face it: At the time, Dallas was considered a hotbed of right-wing hysteria. It served as the regional headquarters of the John Birch Society, and Gen. Edwin Walker - whom many considered a far-out extremist - had moved here. You might remember that Lee Harvey Oswald took a shot at him, too. H.L. Hunt's right-wing radio program originated here. So it was hardly a haven for liberals."[3]
Political career
Wise was elected Dallas city councilman in 1967 and then was elected mayor in 1971.[4] Wise did "much during his term to eradicate the bad image Dallas had nationally after the [Kennedy] assassination."[4] Wise's mayoral term concluded when he resigned to run for Congress.
References
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External links
| Preceded by | Mayor of Dallas 1971–1976 |
Succeeded by Adlene Harrison |
