Walter E. Sickles
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Walter E. Sickles | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 13, 1908 |
| Died | February 11, 1997 (aged 88) |
| Occupations | Television and radio host, narrator, and teacher |
Walter E. Sickles (February 13, 1908 – February 11, 1997), also known as Uncle Walt, was a children's television host, singer, producer and programming director at Way Down By Orlando (WDBO), now WKMG-TV, the first local television station in Orlando, Florida. His program, Adventures with Uncle Walt, which aired on WDBO from 1954 to 1967, was a popular local, afternoon children’s program.
Walter E. Sickles[1] was born February 13, 1908, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. At 12 years old, he sang a solo at the Pennsylvania governor's inauguration on the steps of the State Capitol in Harrisburg.[2] He was a boy soprano[3] and soloist for the choir at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.[4] In the 1930s, he and his sister Lola Blackburn hosted a radio program, titled Jack and Jill, on WWSW.[5]
By the 1940s, Sickles was program director at WWSW. In September 1942, he was narrator of Industry Presents, a radio series with Bill Cullen profiling industrial plants in Pittsburgh which were contributing to the war effort.[6] He also served in World War II and returned to Pittsburgh following VE Day.[2]