Carmon DeLeone and his New Studio Big Band will perform at a Sept. 23 gala celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Voice of America and the 73rd anniversary of the VOA-Bethany Station in West Chester Township.
Those at the dinner and dancing fund-raiser on the lawn at the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, 8070 Tylersville Road, will attend the grand opening of the VOA Museum's new Powel Crosley Jr. exhibit.
Crosley, the Cincinnati entrepreneur/inventor and founder of WLW-AM, and his engineers built the VOA Bethany Station dedicated on Sept. 23, 1944. The VOA began operation on Feb. 1, 1942, during World War II.
“The history of the Voice of America and Bethany Station cannot adequately be told without an appreciation of Powel Crosley and his extraordinary list of inventions and innovations. The new exhibit will be the most comprehensive exhibit in the nation highlighting his accomplishments,” said Jack Dominic, museum director.
Tickets for “Celebrate the Voice of America Under the Stars” are $150 per person. Various levels of sponsorship for individuals, businesses and organizations are available at the VOAmuseum website or by calling Dominic at the museum, 513-777-0027.
The Butler County station transmitted VOA broadcasts around the world for 50 years, from 1944 to 1994. The building now houses the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting, which will be open Saturday, July 15, 1-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, and $1 for children.
The museum's monthly schedule (third Saturday each month) will expand in late September, to be open every weekend. Dominic also is taking applications for docent volunteers.
