Dr. Don Rose

Elected to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame, 2006

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Don Rose passed away in 2005 at the age of 70. He was elected to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of the first class to be enshrined. His original Broadcast Legends biography follows.

Noted radio researcher Bill Earl called him "probably the greatest air talent in the country ... ever!" In a career that lasted 33 years and 28 days, Dr. Don was honored as "Disc Jockey of the Year," while both on the East Coast (WFIL, Philadelphia) and the West Coast (KFRC, San Francisco).

After four years at the University of Nebraska (he majored in accounting!) Rose worked at KOIL, Omaha; KTSA, San Antonio; and KRNY, Kearney, Neb., and with the same dismal result in each city: he was fired!

It took several humiliating months to get another job, but Rose ended up at KWMT, Fort Dodge, Iowa, where his luck changed: he met his one and only wife Kae, and by default, inherited the morning show. ("Did you wake up grouchy, or is she still in bed?")

Next Rose's career led him to Duluth, Minnesota ("It's hard to be funny when it's 40 below ... you look outside at your car and there's a dog frozen to the wheel").

After five frigid years, he was off to Atlanta ("I said, 'Where do you do your cotton pickin'? And the boss said 'cotton pickin' what?"). Then came six very successful years in Philadelphia ("I spent some of my finest days in Philly. Vacations... weekends... sick leave").

All of this set Dr. Don up for the finest part of his career. In 1973 he landed the morning show at KFRC in San Francisco, and what a run it was! KFRC was voted "Station of the Year" four times by Billboard Magazine, with Rose as anchor. His morning program was #1 for a solid decade!

Dr. Don's 20 years of March of Dimes Superwalks raised more than $10 million. He emceed a myriad of golf tournaments, including his own, which benefited Special Olympics and Special Education.

Rose was featured in "Who's Who In California," and for more than a decade hosted Field Communications TV cartoons in Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia, as well as San Francisco.

Rose is an avid sailor (longest sail: to Hawaii, broadcasting all the way), and enjoys exploring, traveling, movies, and making the best Caesar Salad West of the Pekoes. He is active in church, enjoys Bible study, and playing Scrabble and cribbage with Kae. He is free to speak his mind, travel, and pursue real estate interests.

Most of all he enjoys his family; Kae, his wife of forty one years, his five children, their four mates and nine grandchildren. The best is yet to come!

To hear Dr. Don Rose in action on KFRC, please visit the Bay Area Radio Museum, which has an extensive archive of his broadcasts.