Paul Harvey History 1918-2009. Paul Harvey was known as the most listened to’ Radio Broadcaster’ in the world.

Paul Harvey between 1941-1943 worked as program director at WKZO radio in Kalamazoo, Michigan, while also serving as the Office of War Information’s news director for Michigan and Indiana. In 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, but he received a medical discharge in 1944. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, shortened his name to Paul Harvey, and began doing daily news commentaries on local station WENR radio. Soon, his broadcasts were topping the ratings in the greater Chicago area.As a news analyst, author, and columnist, Paul Harvey won recognition as “one of the best-known and most influential personalities in the history of American radio” and the last of the wartime generation of radio commentators. “Paul Harvey News & Comment” and “The Rest of the Story®” aired daily on sixteen hundred radio stations worldwide and had more than eighteen million listeners weekly.

Harvey has received awards from the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Freedom Foundation. He has been inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame (1955), was named Commentator of the Year in 1962 by Radio/TV Daily, and in 1979 was inducted to the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He also received five National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Awards for Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year (1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 2002). In 2005 Pres. George W. Bush presented him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Harvey’s books include Autumn of Liberty, Remember These Things, You Said It, Paul Harvey, and Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor.

In the fall of 2000 Harvey signed a ten-year, $100 million contract with the network. In spring 2002 he celebrated his fiftieth year on ABC news radio. Paul Harvey died on February 28, 2009. Paul Harvey, a renowned American radio broadcaster, delivered a speech titled “If I Were the Devil” in 1965. The speech was a thought-provoking commentary on the societal issues and moral decay that Harvey observed during that time. Harvey’s motivation for delivering this speech was to highlight the dangers he perceived in the changing social and cultural landscape of the 1960s and to call attention to what he saw as a decline in traditional values.

Throughout his career, Paul Harvey was known for his distinctive broadcasting style and his ability to offer insightful and sometimes controversial commentary on current events. In “If I Were the Devil,” Harvey presented a hypothetical scenario in which he assumed the role of the devil and outlined the strategies he would employ to corrupt society. He expressed concerns about the erosion of family values, the weakening of religious faith, and the influence of materialism and consumerism. Harvey’s speech resonated with many listeners who shared his concerns about the direction society was heading. It struck a chord with those who felt that traditional values were being undermined and that there was a need to address the moral and cultural challenges of the time. By delivering this speech, Harvey aimed to awaken his audience to the potential consequences of societal decay and encourage them to reevaluate their priorities and actions.

It’s important to note that while the speech expressed Harvey’s personal views and concerns, it was also a form of commentary and entertainment. Harvey was known for his theatrical style and often used dramatic storytelling techniques to engage his audience.  If I Were the Devil” was to warn Americans about the dangers of communism at the height of the Cold War. In the radio broadcast, Harvey imagined what the devil would do if he wanted to undermine and ultimately defeat the United States. He suggested the devil would try to divide the country using tactics like promoting the separation of church and state, legalizing drugs and abortion, and discouraging personal responsibility. At the time, there were growing concerns about the influence of communism both domestically and internationally. Harvey aimed to stir concern about erosion of traditional American values and stoke opposition to perceived communist threats as a way to bolster support for the ongoing conflict against the Soviet Union and efforts to limit the spread of communist ideologies abroad.

RESEARCHER:  Carol Sakey