Eddie Glover
Eddie was originally from Davenport, FL and worked in sales for WONN for 30 years – from 1963 until he retired in 1994 – and was known affectionately around the station as “Little E.” In the 1970’s, when gas prices shot up like a rocket due to the Gulf oil embargo, he was often seen riding his Vespa scooter on calls to his clients and, during the day, would park it in the “scooter closet,” a name given the storage area under the walkway to the entrance to the building.
Co-workers remember Eddie for his humor, exemplified at a staff birthday gathering when GM Art Rowbotham naturally wanted to know if any of the sales staff had sold anything that day. When he got around to Eddie, the reply was, “I got two orders today, Boss. Get out and stay out!” It was classic “Little E” humor.
Eddie never met a stranger. He was fun to be around and was not the kind of person to say bad things about anyone. That alone makes him rather unique in the radio business. His client list didn’t consist of the big banks, car dealers, or super stores either. They were mostly, shall we say, “less lucrative clients,” but he always had a way of identifying with them and getting their business.
For many years, Eddie spent his off-time as a “weekend warrior,” one weekend a month and two weeks every summer, with the Florida National Guard. He retired from service after 40 years as a 2nd Lieutenant. During his enlistment, he received many awards and honors, among them the Florida Meritorious Service Ribbon (27 times) and the Florida Active Service Medal (5 times). Federal awards included the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the Army Reserve Achievement Medal.
Eddie retired from Hall Communications in 1994. “Little E” was a special man and definitely one-of-a-kind. The radio business – no, the world – needs more like him. The life-long Polk County resident past away December 17, 2008 of heart failure at the age of 81.
Station History
1964 - 1994 WONN (Sales)
|
