’60s Radio: UW Student Mike Mates Moonlights at KJR-Seattle

This historic page is from ‘The University of Washington Daily” campus newspaper of 17 April 1968. The story tells of a 21-year-old UW student, Michael Mates, who helped create and produce satirical sketches at KJR-Seattle in the late sixties. Mates worked with Jerry Kay, and “World Famous” Tom Murphy, on some very funny bits — as described in the article. Mates went on to a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, spending much of his time in Pakistan and Central Europe. He is now retired and living in the less exotic city of Monroe, WA. It is worth noting that this article was written by Eric Lacitis, then a UW journalism student, and now a well-known writer for The Seattle Times. It should be noted, as we go to press, that this Friday is the 53rd anniversary of the article’s publication. (This is a copy of the actual newspaper page, so you will have to move from column to column, or enlarge the font as might be necessary, to get the most out of it).

Click here to read “The KJR Years: Reminiscences of ‘World Famous’ Tom Murphy.” Within that story you’ll hear UW student Mike Mates as the Mahashish Thug Yogi.