Good News!

The Jay A Hickerson Memorial Collection is being created at the Internet Archive
https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22The+Jay+A+Hickerson+Memorial+Collection%22

There will be library of Hello Again newsletters, items related to Jay's Guide, and also scans and media of the FOTR conventions

So far, Hello Again has been scanned by OTRR in the past and as part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection that takes us from the second issue through 1983 with few missing copies. Then there's a big gap until 1991. I have been told that Jay kept all the issues -- but it would be easier if anyone who has saved copies on their own to scan the issues they have to save some work.

We will need volunteers to scan and catalog photos. This is a large collection of publicity shots of many radio performers. How large? I don't know yet.

We are also making a call for audio and video that anyone took at the various conventions -- not the "official" videos -- but any casual videos taken from the audience or with each other. In the Memorial Collection there will be a page for each of the 30+ conventions.

To be designated as an official collection at the Internet Archive, you need 50 pages. With what was loaded in the last few days, there are 15 -- just 35 more to go! -- we will exceed the 50 quite easily -- but it would be great to get there as soon as practical for everyone.

Jay had a collection of books, many authored by radio performers, and many are autographed. These are being inventoried over these next weeks. Many will be offered for sale at some point to help with various expenses of the family.

The Collection will need volunteers who can be dedicated to the project over a few months of their hobby time. They should have a scanner for B&W photos and be able to create the scans, assign file names in a standard format, crop the photos accordingly, and return the photos to the Hickerson family. This part of the project is not going to start for a while, but if you have interest, please get in touch with me privately.

Many have been asking what was going to happen with Jay's large collection of such materials and it was really good news that all of this could come together so quickly. Jay did not really have an audio collection any more, and never really had a large one at all.

OTRR is working to preserve the classic radio era, and preserving our hobby activities such as conventions is a very important part of that.

Thank you, everyone, for your interest and very kind comments about Jay here and in the OTR social media. Many of those comments have been sent to the family and they have been greatly appreciated.

JWW

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