WRR Radio Station (Dallas, TX)

The first radio station to be broadcast in Texas, and one of the first in the United States, was WRR of Dallas. The station began broadcasting in 1920, with Henry Dad Garrett as announcer, and received a provisional license on August 4, 1921. In 1924, leading Dallas businessmen including John Foldberg Thorwald took on the task of reconstructing WRR as a city-owned station and in 1925 the station took the air with studios located in the Adolphus Hotel. For the next 14 years, Thorwald was the director of radio for the city of Dallas and was responsible for a number of programming firsts, such as using radio for police broadcasts, sports coverage, selling time, and broadcasting the dedication of an underground cavern near Austin from 600 feet.

Source : Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. Radio, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/ebr1.html (accessed June 9, 2010).

From the guide to the WRR Radio Station (Dallas) Records 84-148., 1927-1937, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

The first radio station to be broadcast in Texas, and one of the first in the United States, was WRR of Dallas.

The station began broadcasting in 1920, with Henry Dad Garrett as announcer, and received a provisional license on August 4, 1921. In 1924, leading Dallas businessmen including John Foldberg Thorwald took on the task of reconstructing WRR as a city-owned station and in 1925 the station took the air with studios located in the Adolphus Hotel. For the next 14 years, Thorwald was the director of radio for the city of Dallas and was responsible for a number of programming firsts, such as using radio for police broadcasts, sports coverage, selling time, and broadcasting the dedication of an underground cavern near Austin from 600 feet.

From the description of WRR Radio Station (Dallas) Records, 1927-1937 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 777682732