Magee Adams was columnist for Enquirer
Magge Adams, 88, a blind Milford native who wrote a column for the (Cincinnati) Enquirer as one of the nations first radio critics, died Thursday at Clermont Nursing Home.
Mr. Adams, whose first name, Charles, was never used by any of his friends, was a graduate of a Milford High School, perhaps in 1912, said his one local survivor, a niece, Mrs. Marian Binning.
He lost his eyesight at age 11, Mrs. Binning said, when a shotgun that wasn't supposed to be loaded discharged while he was playing with friends near his home, at the time in Columbus.
Enquirer Reader Editor John Caldwell, who was radio editor during part of Mr. Adams career, said Mr. Adams was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University, completing his journalism studies in three years while working as a campus correspondent for a number of publications.
Caldwell said that from the earliest days of radio broadcasting, Mr. Adams began writing letters to the editor that were considered so good that The Enquirer hired him to review radio programs regularly. He may have been the nation's first radio critic, Caldwell said.
"He was a strong, demanding critic who wouldn't who wouldn't take any lowered standards from anybody," Caldwell said.
At on point in Mr. Adams young career, Caldwell recalled, his criticisms were so pointed that a local broadcaster applied pressure and got him fired. But when Everett Boyd, then radio editor, was promoted to managing editor, he rehired Mr. Adams as both Milford correspondent and radio columnist. That was in 1945.
In addition to radio comments, which were frequently heeded by network bigwigs, Mr. Adams covered fires, accidents, council meetings and the like unescorted, because he said he knew every step of Milford "to the cracks in the sidewalks."
Caldwell said he knew of an instance when the Milford Fire Chief, en route to a blaze, stopped by Mr. Adams' home to give him a ride to the scene.
When he went into strange territory to get a story he would be accompanied by his wife, Delia, who died in 1956.
Caldwell said the critic refused to buy special radio equipment for his work, saying he wanted to listen to the same type of radio everyone else had.
His favorite exercise was chopping wood, Caldwell said. He was a constant pipe smoker. He would light the pipe with wooden matches so he could feel the heat with his palm behind the bowl and guide the flame to the tobacco. Mr. Adams continued to contribute columns to the Sunday edition of The Enquirer until he retired in 1978, although many were not about radio. He told Caldwell he quit writing about the subject "when all there was to listen to was disc jockeys."
Services will be at 10:30 a. m. Saturday at Noakes Funeral Home. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Cincinnati Enquirer
20, November, 1981, Friday
Page 31
Contributor: Milt Proctor (50060215) • [email protected]
Magge Adams, 88, a blind Milford native who wrote a column for the (Cincinnati) Enquirer as one of the nations first radio critics, died Thursday at Clermont Nursing Home.
Mr. Adams, whose first name, Charles, was never used by any of his friends, was a graduate of a Milford High School, perhaps in 1912, said his one local survivor, a niece, Mrs. Marian Binning.
He lost his eyesight at age 11, Mrs. Binning said, when a shotgun that wasn't supposed to be loaded discharged while he was playing with friends near his home, at the time in Columbus.
Enquirer Reader Editor John Caldwell, who was radio editor during part of Mr. Adams career, said Mr. Adams was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University, completing his journalism studies in three years while working as a campus correspondent for a number of publications.
Caldwell said that from the earliest days of radio broadcasting, Mr. Adams began writing letters to the editor that were considered so good that The Enquirer hired him to review radio programs regularly. He may have been the nation's first radio critic, Caldwell said.
"He was a strong, demanding critic who wouldn't who wouldn't take any lowered standards from anybody," Caldwell said.
At on point in Mr. Adams young career, Caldwell recalled, his criticisms were so pointed that a local broadcaster applied pressure and got him fired. But when Everett Boyd, then radio editor, was promoted to managing editor, he rehired Mr. Adams as both Milford correspondent and radio columnist. That was in 1945.
In addition to radio comments, which were frequently heeded by network bigwigs, Mr. Adams covered fires, accidents, council meetings and the like unescorted, because he said he knew every step of Milford "to the cracks in the sidewalks."
Caldwell said he knew of an instance when the Milford Fire Chief, en route to a blaze, stopped by Mr. Adams' home to give him a ride to the scene.
When he went into strange territory to get a story he would be accompanied by his wife, Delia, who died in 1956.
Caldwell said the critic refused to buy special radio equipment for his work, saying he wanted to listen to the same type of radio everyone else had.
His favorite exercise was chopping wood, Caldwell said. He was a constant pipe smoker. He would light the pipe with wooden matches so he could feel the heat with his palm behind the bowl and guide the flame to the tobacco. Mr. Adams continued to contribute columns to the Sunday edition of The Enquirer until he retired in 1978, although many were not about radio. He told Caldwell he quit writing about the subject "when all there was to listen to was disc jockeys."
Services will be at 10:30 a. m. Saturday at Noakes Funeral Home. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Cincinnati Enquirer
20, November, 1981, Friday
Page 31
Contributor: Milt Proctor (50060215) • [email protected]
Magee Adams was columnist for Enquirer
Magge Adams, 88, a blind Milford native who wrote a column for the (Cincinnati) Enquirer as one of the nations first radio critics, died Thursday at Clermont Nursing Home.
Mr. Adams, whose first name, Charles, was never used by any of his friends, was a graduate of a Milford High School, perhaps in 1912, said his one local survivor, a niece, Mrs. Marian Binning.
He lost his eyesight at age 11, Mrs. Binning said, when a shotgun that wasn't supposed to be loaded discharged while he was playing with friends near his home, at the time in Columbus.
Enquirer Reader Editor John Caldwell, who was radio editor during part of Mr. Adams career, said Mr. Adams was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University, completing his journalism studies in three years while working as a campus correspondent for a number of publications.
Caldwell said that from the earliest days of radio broadcasting, Mr. Adams began writing letters to the editor that were considered so good that The Enquirer hired him to review radio programs regularly. He may have been the nation's first radio critic, Caldwell said.
"He was a strong, demanding critic who wouldn't who wouldn't take any lowered standards from anybody," Caldwell said.
At on point in Mr. Adams young career, Caldwell recalled, his criticisms were so pointed that a local broadcaster applied pressure and got him fired. But when Everett Boyd, then radio editor, was promoted to managing editor, he rehired Mr. Adams as both Milford correspondent and radio columnist. That was in 1945.
In addition to radio comments, which were frequently heeded by network bigwigs, Mr. Adams covered fires, accidents, council meetings and the like unescorted, because he said he knew every step of Milford "to the cracks in the sidewalks."
Caldwell said he knew of an instance when the Milford Fire Chief, en route to a blaze, stopped by Mr. Adams' home to give him a ride to the scene.
When he went into strange territory to get a story he would be accompanied by his wife, Delia, who died in 1956.
Caldwell said the critic refused to buy special radio equipment for his work, saying he wanted to listen to the same type of radio everyone else had.
His favorite exercise was chopping wood, Caldwell said. He was a constant pipe smoker. He would light the pipe with wooden matches so he could feel the heat with his palm behind the bowl and guide the flame to the tobacco. Mr. Adams continued to contribute columns to the Sunday edition of The Enquirer until he retired in 1978, although many were not about radio. He told Caldwell he quit writing about the subject "when all there was to listen to was disc jockeys."
Services will be at 10:30 a. m. Saturday at Noakes Funeral Home. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Cincinnati Enquirer
20, November, 1981, Friday
Page 31
Contributor: Milt Proctor (50060215) • [email protected]
Magge Adams, 88, a blind Milford native who wrote a column for the (Cincinnati) Enquirer as one of the nations first radio critics, died Thursday at Clermont Nursing Home.
Mr. Adams, whose first name, Charles, was never used by any of his friends, was a graduate of a Milford High School, perhaps in 1912, said his one local survivor, a niece, Mrs. Marian Binning.
He lost his eyesight at age 11, Mrs. Binning said, when a shotgun that wasn't supposed to be loaded discharged while he was playing with friends near his home, at the time in Columbus.
Enquirer Reader Editor John Caldwell, who was radio editor during part of Mr. Adams career, said Mr. Adams was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University, completing his journalism studies in three years while working as a campus correspondent for a number of publications.
Caldwell said that from the earliest days of radio broadcasting, Mr. Adams began writing letters to the editor that were considered so good that The Enquirer hired him to review radio programs regularly. He may have been the nation's first radio critic, Caldwell said.
"He was a strong, demanding critic who wouldn't who wouldn't take any lowered standards from anybody," Caldwell said.
At on point in Mr. Adams young career, Caldwell recalled, his criticisms were so pointed that a local broadcaster applied pressure and got him fired. But when Everett Boyd, then radio editor, was promoted to managing editor, he rehired Mr. Adams as both Milford correspondent and radio columnist. That was in 1945.
In addition to radio comments, which were frequently heeded by network bigwigs, Mr. Adams covered fires, accidents, council meetings and the like unescorted, because he said he knew every step of Milford "to the cracks in the sidewalks."
Caldwell said he knew of an instance when the Milford Fire Chief, en route to a blaze, stopped by Mr. Adams' home to give him a ride to the scene.
When he went into strange territory to get a story he would be accompanied by his wife, Delia, who died in 1956.
Caldwell said the critic refused to buy special radio equipment for his work, saying he wanted to listen to the same type of radio everyone else had.
His favorite exercise was chopping wood, Caldwell said. He was a constant pipe smoker. He would light the pipe with wooden matches so he could feel the heat with his palm behind the bowl and guide the flame to the tobacco. Mr. Adams continued to contribute columns to the Sunday edition of The Enquirer until he retired in 1978, although many were not about radio. He told Caldwell he quit writing about the subject "when all there was to listen to was disc jockeys."
Services will be at 10:30 a. m. Saturday at Noakes Funeral Home. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday.
The Cincinnati Enquirer
20, November, 1981, Friday
Page 31
Contributor: Milt Proctor (50060215) • [email protected]
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