Michel, Don, 1931-

Don Michel was born in 1931 and moved to Anna, Illinois in 1957 to begin his career in broadcasting. He began work as an engineer, announcer, program director and salesman at the WRAJ radio station while starting a family with his wife Marian. The couple had two children, and lived in Anna during Michel's long career in broadcast radio. As a radio broadcaster he was able to interview many big names, including Walter Cronkite, Bob Hope, Harry Reasoner, and Senator Paul Simon, but also kept a great deal of local color involved in the broadcast, interviewing local politicians and long time residents. He was on the air the day of John F. Kennedy's assassination, and was able to interview the police officer who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald. Don Michel eventually bought the radio station in 1975, later selling it as his children grew up and went on to careers in television. In 1992 Michel was the coordinator of Southern Illinois Citizens for Perot, part of the Illinois Citizens for Perot, which collected petitions to get Ross Perot on the ballot in Illinois for U.S. President.

Don Michel was born in 1931 and moved to Anna, Illinois in 1957 to begin his career in broadcasting. He began work as an engineer, announcer, program director and salesman at the WRAJ radio station while starting a family with his wife Marian. The couple had two children, and lived in Anna during Michel's long career in broadcast radio. As a radio broadcaster he was able to interview many big names, including Walter Cronkite, Bob Hope, Harry Reasoner, and Senator Paul Simon, but also kept a great deal of local color involved in the broadcast, interviewing local politicians and long time residents. He was on the air the day of John F. Kennedy's assassination, and was able to interview the police officer who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald. Don Michel eventually bought the radio station in 1975, later selling it as his children grew up and went on to careers in television.

Interview subjects in this collection include Walter Cronkite, Bob Hope, Arthur Godfrey, Colonel Sanders, Spiro Agnew, Ann Landers, Peter Jennings, Danny Thomas, Nancy Reagan, and Ralph Nader. In addition to national celebrities, the collection also includes truly local people, such as various church elders in Anna, the Anna chief of police in 1972, and a winner of a youth competition at the Anna fair. Southern Illinois University figures are also on record, such as Paul Simon, Dr. Delyte Morris, John Y. Simon and Buckminster Fuller. Due to the era during which these shows were broadcast, there are also many interviews with returning Vietnam veterans and former prisoners of war.