This collection contains materials belonging to and created by Fred C. Bock, an Akron radio broadcaster, personality, and advertising agent. Bock was an alumnus of the University of Akron. Included are material from his radio career at WADC and his work as an advertising executive. Also included are papers from the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, of which Bock was a founding member, as well as papers from his career as a student at the University of Akron. Typescripts of Bock's radio programs House of the Lord and As They Like It are also present. The collection contains mostly printed material, but also includes photographs and phonodisc sound recordings. Items in the collection range in date from around 1928 through 1996, with the bulk of material dating from 1930-1970.
Fred C. Bock was born in Bellevue, OH in 1904, and grew up in New Castle, PA. He moved to Akron, OH in 1922 and attended the University of Akron, graduating in 1928. In that same year, he was employed by WADC, an early Akron radio station. At WADC, he created the character of "Blooming Bill, the Old Seedologist." This program, sponsored by the Dettling Brothers Seed Store, was on the air for a record 52 continuous years. Bock also served as WADC's sales manager and assistant general manager during his career. In 1950, Bock left WADC to found his own advertising agency in Akron. He served as owner and president of the Fred Bock Advertising Agency for 27 years. During 1950-1954, Bock also created and produced a series of radio programs called The House of the Lord, on which famous and historical churches of America were featured. Later in his life, Bock became a co-founder and inductee into the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, a national group honoring significant contributors to broadcast media. He was an active and longtime member of Kiwanis and was also involved in the University of Akron's "A-Men" varsity athletics association. He died in 1996 at the age of 92.
The collection is comprised of 9 record center cartons, each of which holds approximately 1 cubic foot of material. In addition, there are 3 flat oversize items and 1 phonodisc storage box containing 14 phonodiscs.