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Memorial Day (05/30/1960)

May 22, 2026, 11:00 pm

Honor the brave, Memorial Day, May 30, 1917 (via loc.gov | LC-USZC4-8122)

In honor of Memorial Day this coming Monday, May 25, we bring you Studs Terkel’s tribute to this American holiday, which was first heard on WFMT on May 30, 1960. Crafted through a classic Studs compilation of music and poetry, this program has long been a WFMT rebroadcast tradition.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

Mornings with Jan Weller

Mornings with Jan Weller

Memorial Day (05/30/1960)