(from Wrestling News Magazine, 1966)
One of the most widely known of the TV wrestling announcers and a dean among all sportscasters is genial Ray Morgan who is the man behind the mike at the weekly shows from the Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C.
Ray, who has been doing wrestling on a regular basis since 1957, has been in the broadcasting business for over thirty years, starting out in 1933 on radio station WETL in Philadelphia.
Born in Trenton, N.J, and raised in the small town of Libertown, Md., Ray was headed for a law career at Notre Dame following his graduation from Atlantic City, N.J. high school. However, as this was during the height of the depression he had to give up his dream of college to go to work. After holding down a few selling jobs he decided to take a crack at the broadcasting business.
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| Ray Morgan with Bruno Sammartino |
Morgan applied to station WCAU in Philadelphia, but was told to get some experience. He worked without pay for the next six months for WETL, a small station in Philadelphia, but never got to WCAU. Instead he moved on to WPG in Atlantic City. Morgan remained there for seven years, becoming chief announcer and sports director. When the station went off the air on New Year's Eve in 1940 Ray swiched to WWDC in Washington where he took over the post of chief announcer.
Morgan failed in an attempt to enlist in the service but put in four years working for Uncle Sam as a public relations officer at the Miami Air Force Base. After the war he returned to WWDC as sports director and head of the special events department. He moved into TV a few years later and in 1952 joined WTOP. Later he became sports director of WTTG-TV where he began his career as a wrestling announcer. Ray's warm and friendly manner made him an instant hit with the fans. The mailmen groan under the heavy load of fan mail that reaches his office every day.
Some years ago Ray was seen twice weekly with shows coming from Bridgeport, Conn. as well as Washington, D.C. but now he has only one show out of Washington which is seen in many cities throughout the United States. Tapes of these shows appear in Europe and Africa thus making him a world-wide personality.
Morgan has made thousands of personal appearances in recent years but no matter what the gathering or what subject he is scheduled to talk about, it always ends up being wrestling. Ray loves the wrestling fans. "They are the most loyal and rabid of any sports fans, but they get out of hand sometimes, "he chuckled.
Morgan has watched just about all the greats of matdom in action and has seen fads and fantastic followings come and go for the wrestlers, but he remarked, "I have never seen a wrestler with the loyal following that Bruno Sammartino has. Bruno is a true gentleman and this is the reason I feel he has become such an idol. It is not only his great ability that has made him the star that he is."
