Mail Order Business Pioneer, Radio broadcaster. In his youth, May raised turkeys and sold animal skins to earn money. Later, after graduating High School, he earned money for college by teaching. After graduating from Fremont College in Nebraska May returned to his home town to become the principal at the local school. Originally, he wanted to be a lawyer and began law school in 1911 at the University of Michigan. Through summer jobs in Michigan, traveling on horseback, selling garden seeds for the D.M. Ferry Seed Company, his life's direction was changed. Although he completed his degree in 1915 at the law school in Lincoln, Nebraska, his new found love of garden seeds and plants, his marriage to the daughter of E.S. Welch, the president of Mount Arbor Nurseries in Shenandoah, Iowa and his apprentice to his new father-in-law, paved the way for May Seed & Nursery Company, which began in 1919. In addition to selling seeds via mail, the company also sold clothing, shoes, paint, radios, batteries, tires and even baby chickens. In the 1920's, using live radio broadcasts, May reached thousands of people with his program from Omaha, Nebraska. By 1925, he build his own radio station KMA in Shenandoah and started a very popular station in the country. May's station hosted down-to-earth farming and gardening discussions and his early morning shows were embraced by farmers. May also build the Mayfair Auditorium, which seated 1,000 and drew in 400,000 people wanting to participate in his live broadcasts. May was awarded the "Radio Digest" in 1926 being voted the "World's Most Popular Radio Announcer." His legacy lives on though Earl May Seed & Nursery.
Mail Order Business Pioneer, Radio broadcaster. In his youth, May raised turkeys and sold animal skins to earn money. Later, after graduating High School, he earned money for college by teaching. After graduating from Fremont College in Nebraska May returned to his home town to become the principal at the local school. Originally, he wanted to be a lawyer and began law school in 1911 at the University of Michigan. Through summer jobs in Michigan, traveling on horseback, selling garden seeds for the D.M. Ferry Seed Company, his life's direction was changed. Although he completed his degree in 1915 at the law school in Lincoln, Nebraska, his new found love of garden seeds and plants, his marriage to the daughter of E.S. Welch, the president of Mount Arbor Nurseries in Shenandoah, Iowa and his apprentice to his new father-in-law, paved the way for May Seed & Nursery Company, which began in 1919. In addition to selling seeds via mail, the company also sold clothing, shoes, paint, radios, batteries, tires and even baby chickens. In the 1920's, using live radio broadcasts, May reached thousands of people with his program from Omaha, Nebraska. By 1925, he build his own radio station KMA in Shenandoah and started a very popular station in the country. May's station hosted down-to-earth farming and gardening discussions and his early morning shows were embraced by farmers. May also build the Mayfair Auditorium, which seated 1,000 and drew in 400,000 people wanting to participate in his live broadcasts. May was awarded the "Radio Digest" in 1926 being voted the "World's Most Popular Radio Announcer." His legacy lives on though Earl May Seed & Nursery.
Bio by: Native5G
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