Roy Morgan

Inducted 1996

Deceased 

Roy Morgan was an educator turned broadcaster.  In 1947, after a number of years as a public school teacher and Penn State professor, Morgan received a license to operate WILK, an AM radio station in Wilkes-Barre.  He operated the station until 1989.

Morgan also operated WILK-FM, WTLQ-FM in Pittston, and WSER in Elkton, Md.  His company, the Wyoming Valley Broadcasting Company, launched the second UHF television station in the nation, WILK-TV (now WNEP-TV), in the 1950s.  Morgan served as executive vice president, secretary, and president of the company. He was also the music, drama and art critic for the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader for 25 years.

Morgan was an industry leader.  He served as chairman of the ABC Contemporary Network Affiliates Board and the ABC Radio Network Affiliates Board in the 1970s.  From 1967-1969, he was a member of the Radio Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters.  He served on the Board of the Associated Press Broadcasters.  In 1954, he was elected president of the Pennsylvania AP Broadcasters Association.   In 1958, he served as joint board chairman of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters.
 
Morgan's interest in education continued with his involvement in the Association for Professional Broadcasting Education, now known as the Broadcast Education Association.  He served as secretary-treasurer of the APBE from 1963-66 and as president from 1966-1968.  In 1980, he was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Wilkes College.

Morgan was known as Mr. Volunteer in Wilkes-Barre. Throughout his lifetime, he headed 25 civic and charitable organizations, including the State Board of Public Welfare, the Family Service Association of America, the Wyoming Valley United Fund Campaign, the Wyoming Valley Hospital, the Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund, the U.S. Savings Bond Drive in Luzerne County, the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilkes-Barre Kiwanis.  He served on the Board of the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the 1970s and was appointed to Governor Thornburgh's Private Sector Initiative Task Force in 1983. 

Morgan received the Benjamin Rush Award from the Medical Society of Pennsylvania in 1958, the Kiwanis Award for Distinguished Service to Community in 1960, and the Distinguished Community Service Award of B'nai Brith in 1966.  He won AP awards for his commentary and editorials, and in 1962 received the top award of the National Federation of Music Clubs.  He was awarded the PAB Gold Medal in 1981.