












©
2014-2022
Man From Mars Productions
|
|
Most
of us have known someone who was involved in an office romance.
This is the story of the earliest office romance involving two employees
of WDRC.
The
story began on December 2, 1907 when Marguerite Rose Reichel was
born in New Haven, CT. Peggy attended local schools and graduated
from Stebbings Secretarial School. The 1927 New Haven City Directory
indicated she was employed as a stenographer.
 |
In fact, Peggy was hired as a secretary and bookkeeper at
WDRC which was then located on the top floor of the
glamorous Taft Hotel in New Haven. Three years earlier a young
man had joined the station as announcer and manager.
If
Walter Haase became the right hand
man of WDRC founder Franklin
M. Doolittle, Peggy Reichel became his left hand.
|
|

Peggy Reichel at WDRC's New Haven
studios in the 1930s
|
|
|
At
the behest of the CBS Radio Network, Doolittle moved WDRC
to Hartford in November 1930. Since there were no commuter buses,
Peggy drove from New Haven each day - in an era long before there
were superhighways. At first Walter Haase was her supervisor.
Peggy
was never an announcer in the way we think of air personalities
today, though she did appear on the air from time to time reading
commercials or society news.
Eventually
Cupid's arrow targeted Peggy and Walter. They were married in 1938
and moved to Wethersfield.
|

Radio Daily, August 6, 1937, p.8
|
|
|

Broadcasting magazine, January 15, 1938, p.82.
|
As
was the social custom of the time, it was generally not considered
appropriate for married couples to work together. On April 28, 1939
Peggy turned in her notice and left Mr. Doolittle's employment.
While
Peggy stayed home and raised their young son, Richard, Walter climbed
the career ladder at WDRC. He served as studio manager, program
manager and station manager, and secretary of the corporation in
1947. His 35-year radio career ended on August 3, 1959 when Buckley-Jaegar
Broadcasting Corporation bought the company.
Walter
Haase died on July 19, 1975. Peggy decided her life wasn't over
so she joined an organization called USA65, a group of retirees
who wished to stay busy and socialize. They took small assembly
jobs from area manufacturers who didn't want to pay factory wages.
Peggy was their bookkeeper for ten years.
|

Broadcasting
magazine, September 15, 1938, p.67
|
|
|
At
the age of 90 Peggy expressed an interest in computers, so her son
bought her one. As she aged, and mobility became increasingly difficult,
Peggy loved communicating by e-mail, online shopping, staying up
on the news, and playing Solitaire.
The
last time she renewed her driver's license Peggy was 96 years old.
Maintaining independence was important to her, though she gave up
her license six years later.
She
spent her final years at Aaron Manor in Chester, CT. Marguerite
Rose (Reichel) Haase died on December 21, 2012, 19 days after her
105th birthday!
We
are indebted to Richard and Sally
Haase for their contributions to this page.
|

Peggy (Reichel) Haase enjoys a piece
of cake on her 105th birthday in 2012!
|
|
|