Butler County’s VOA museum gala to mark 75th anniversary

Board members at the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting are calling for community support of Celebrate the Voice of America Under the Stars, on Sept. 23. Pictured, front row, from left: Karl Ulrich; Patti Alderson; Melinda Zemper; and Joe Gruber, VOA museum chief technology officer. Back row, are Chris Wunnenberg; and Jack Dominic, VOA museum director. JEFF MONROE/CONTRIBUTED

Board members at the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting are calling for community support of Celebrate the Voice of America Under the Stars, on Sept. 23. Pictured, front row, from left: Karl Ulrich; Patti Alderson; Melinda Zemper; and Joe Gruber, VOA museum chief technology officer. Back row, are Chris Wunnenberg; and Jack Dominic, VOA museum director. JEFF MONROE/CONTRIBUTED

The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting will host “Celebrate the Voice of America under the Stars,” a romantic, Big Band dinner-and-dance party on Sept. 23 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the VOA museum.

The event will mark the 75th anniversary of the Voice of America and commemorate the Sept. 23, 1944 dedication of the VOA-Bethany Station.

Carmon DeLeone and his New Studio Big Band will provide entertainment and record a program for later broadcast on public radio station WVXU.

MORE: VOA museum exhibit hall named for engineer

Cost is $150 per person, or $300 per couple, with various levels of sponsorship for individuals, businesses and organizations.

The evening will also include the unveiling of a Powel Crosley exhibit supported by The Smith Family Foundation.

Crosley, an early 20th century inventor, radio entrepreneur and industrialist, developed groundbreaking technology for the VOA Relay Station. His cadre of engineers and machinists crafted six of the most powerful shortwave radio transmitters in the world at the onset of World War II—and they accomplished it in one year.

For 50 years, the VOA-Bethany Station transmitted Voice of America broadcasts to countries worldwide that lacked a free press, first in Europe during World War II and to South America during the Cold War. It was decommissioned by the federal government in 1994.

The iconic art deco building has been developed into the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting with the help of the entire community, mostly with volunteer labor. Contributions and grants have been secured from local, regional and national companies and foundations.

MORE: Voice of America Museum looking for volunteer tour guides

The museum is open the third Saturday of the month from 1 to 4 p.m. until late September, when it will be open weekends. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children. The museum is located at 8070 Tylersville Road. The museum is still taking applications for docent volunteers.

For more information about gala tickets and sponsorships, email admin@voamuseum.org, call 513-777-0027, or go to www.voamuseum.org.

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