Fri, Jan 09 2009
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Published June 21, 2006 10:05 am - The final in a three-part series on the “golden age” of Tulsa television takes a look at favorite personalities and how they impacted viewers lives. Don, Gusty blow away competition in viewers’ esteem By Betty Smith, Press Staff Writer When Tahlequah residents discuss Tulsa television personalities of the past and present, many speak of fond childhood memories of Uncle Zeb or Mr. Zing and Tuffy.
But the name coming up most often – and the one viewers continued to watch as adults – were longtime Channel 8 weatherman Don Woods and his cartoon friend, Gusty. Perhaps that’s because he was on the air for so long – and has been on more recently – than other favorites. But Lee Woodward and King Lionel also get frequent mentions. Fellow meteorologist Jim Giles, who has spent a quarter-century forecasting storms for Channel 6, draws mention for his service in Vietnam and his successful battle with cancer. People also enjoy his spirited rendition, along with his German wife Hannah, of the chicken dance at Tulsa’s annual Oktoberfest. Although Woods and Woodward may have competed for viewers, they weren’t rivals off camera. “Dad and Lee were friends, and we used to see them often,” said his son, Stuart Woods, who lives in Tahlequah. Retired anchorman Bob Hower also is warmly remembered. Like Giles, he’s a veteran: Hower served as a bomber pilot during World War II. And Betty Boyd was one of Tulsa’s female television pioneers. She made her first live appearance on KOTV Dec. 1, 1955. The versatile broadcaster hosted several shows, including daytime “women’s” programming, and morning shows. She served as the local hostess for national telethons, such as the March of Dimes. She also wrote a book about her TV experiences, “If I Could Sing, I’d Be Dangerous,” as well as a newspaper column, “Travelchatter.” Boyd climaxed her career by serving in the Oklahoma Legislature, where she gained a reputation as a champion of the elderly and other causes. But Woods enjoys a special relationship with viewers, even years later, because of his cartoon creations. A number of Tahlequah-area residents possess Gusties they received over the years. Woods may have retired from television after 35 years, but he continues to appear as an occasional advertising spokesman and at celebrations. And Gusty may have observed his 50th birthday, but he’s nowhere near retirement. Gusty has achieved many honors. He appears in the Smithsonian Institution and Gilcrease Museum. He’s Oklahoma’s official state cartoon, thanks to a proclamation in 2004. “Have a happy forever,” Don says. Through the Gusty Goals program, his art benefits SAR Foundation, which supports nonprofit organizations in Oklahoma. Don also got into watercolors in the late 1970s and has exhibited his work in Tulsa and Taos, gaining acclaim in that field. “I’ve got lots of his watercolors in my house,” Stuart said. Woods, a native of Wichita, Kan., started his career as a meteorologist while serving in the Navy. After his discharge, he studied meteorology and began his broadcasting career in Wichita before moving to KTUL. 
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