User:Buzzdad/Bette Rogge Morse

Bette Rogge Morse - TV personality, teacher, humanitarian in Dayton, Ohio.

Radio and Television

Bette Rogge is a native Daytonian who is a pioneer in radio and TV. She began her radio days in the early 1930's at WSMK, named after Stanley M. Krone. Jack Wymer was the station announcer. Bette did radio shows later on WING and WHIO radio in Dayton, Ohio. She did commercials for Jesse Philips at the Home Store while attending University of Dayton. Later, she did many commericia1s on radio and was the Women's Editor and commercial announcer on the WHIO radio program, "Newspaper of the Air" each morning for 4 years.

She started on TV in the early 1950's with an exercise show called "The Perfect Pair," starring Bette and Toby Tobias, a fitness expert from the YMCA. It was sponsored by Bendix washers and dryers. She also did other TV shows: "Dietz & Rogge show"; "Betty Bonner"; "Meet the Boss"; "Don's House" and many others. From 1967 - 1972 she did her own show, "The Bette Rogge Show," featuring such guests as Bob Hope, the Nixon daughters, Mickey Rooney, Paul Lynde, actors from the Kenley Players and many others.

Bette also did regular radio & TV commercials for Royal Crest Dairy, Fox Cleaners, Culligan, Ohio Bell, Harmony Farms, Miami Valley Milk Producers, Eaveys Super Markets and others. She worked two days a week at WBNS-TV and WLW~C TV in Columbus. One of the highlights of her TV career was special 30 minute TV tour of the White House in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson hosted King Olav of Norway. Bette interviewed Liz Carpenter, Chef Henry Haller, the White House florist and was part of a reception held by Mrs.Johnson. She also was a guest at the Norwegian Embassy when King Olav entertained President Johnson. This 30 minute show was aired on WHIO-TV.

Bette also covered the lift-off of Apollo 14, interviewed astronauts & NASA officials plus presenting a Kittyhawk replica to local leaders. She covered the pre-opening of Disney World, did a special interview from the Goodyear Blimp, was a special TV hostess for the Bogie Busters - a Dayton-based celebrity golf tournament.

In the 1950's, Bette did the first color TV commercial (Royal Crest Dairy) at WLW-D and the first color national television feed from Wright-Patterson AFB with the Howdy Doody folks who were in Dayton for the Community Chest. She also did feature shows from the Indy 500, one being an interview with A.J. Foyt as they drove around the track. She also did a series of special interviews with Jack Lord of Hawaii 50 and Don Ho when she was in Hawaii in 1970.

  

Bette also appeared on the national Virginia Graham Show in New York with Erma Bombeck in 1968. Bette has a theater background and appeared in a number of John Kenley Shows throughout Ohio. She has also been recognized in a number of national magazines.



Since 1995, she is hosting cable TV show Cultural Scene, produced by Retha Phillips. She interviews local and national personalities who have influence on our cultural life such as Cliff Robertson, Frank Borman, Buzz Aldrin, Benjamin Schuster, Chuck Yeager, Patricia Neal and many others.

Education and Community Service

Bette is a graduate of UD and did post graduate work at Northwestern and Columbia Universities. She completed her masters degree at UD in 1977. She was presented an Honorary Doctors Degree at UD in 1999. She also taught speech at UD during the 1980' s. She, along with virginia Kettering, were the first women to serve on the Board of Trustees at UD. Bette was very active in community service, serving as the 1st woman president of the Salvation ArmiY and Easter Seals. She was named one of the top 10 women in Dayton in 1977.