Earl C. and Marie Reineke Photograph Collection

Collection

Identifier: Photo 2077

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Earl C. Reineke Photograph Collection consists of photographs from the personal lives of Earl and Marie Reineke as well as photographs from various WDAY functions. Photographs from two collections were integrated to form this collection. The photographs were organized into three series: Earl and Marie Reineke, WDAY, and Alice Shiels. Most of the photographs date from the 1950s and early 1960s. Very few have identifying information with them. The Earl and Marie Rieneke Series includes the personal portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Reineke, separate and together. These include black and white professional photographs, and vacation photos from Miami, Florida with fish they perhaps caught. There is also a studio portrait of an elderly woman, likely the mother of either Mr. or Mrs. Reineke. There are also two color images, one of Mr. Reineke in his office and the other of the couple taken likely in Florida. The WDAY Series includes images of important people at WDAY as well as photographs of celebrations such as the WDAY Band Festivals, various awards ceremonies, and publicity stills. Some of the photographs are of cars in the WDAY Band Festival parades, Band Festival Queens, reviewing stand, and a small boy in uniform leading a marching band in parade on Broadway. Persons seated in parade automobiles include Earl and Marie Reineke, North Dakota Gov. John E. Davis, Fargo Mayor Herschel Lashkowitz, John A. Cory of Chicago, A. I. Johnson, Paul Koht, Joe Runsvold, Clyde Duffy, Tom Barnes, Ken Kennedy, Leslie R. Burgum, Math Dahl and A. J. Jensen and Queen Annie Refling. There are celebration groups, connected with anniversaries of WDAY broadcasting and include television staff. Two images show Mr. and Mrs. Reineke being presented gifts, one with a clock and another with a flatwear set. The Publicity folder includes a signed publicity photograph of Mr. Reineke with Miss America 1948, Miss Bebe Shopp from Minnesota, the WDAY broadcasting tower, several of Homer George after climbing the WDAY television tower in 1959, Reineke and another man in front of WDAY headquarters beside automobile with WDAY advertising on it, two men with FAB detergent display, and the WDAY staff with Reineke, wearing long-sleeve t-shirts with “W.D.A.Y.” printed on front (from 1930s or 1940s). The Alice Shiels Series consists solely of color photographs taken at the Reineke Fine Arts Center on the North Dakota State University campus in 1982. Featured in the images is Alice Shiels, sister to Marie Reineke. The Marie Early Reineke Series consist of thirty-one photographs of the Marie Early Dance Studio, dancers and her family.

Dates

1940s-1982

Creator

Reineke, Earl C. (Earl Charles), 1893-1965. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

Copyrights to this collection remain with the donors.

Biography

Earl Charles Reineke was born at Fargo, North Dakota on December 20, 1893, the son of Charles H. and Amelia (Ulm) Reineke. He attended the area schools and soon became interested in electricity and the wireless transmitter. In 1907 he built his first wireless transmitter or radio and began a self-training period in radios. During World War I he was a radio code instructor for the U.S. Army at the North Dakota Agricultural College. In 1918 he married Beulah Lenore Chase. During and after the war he and several other businessmen formed a radio equipment company in Fargo. Mr. Reineke was also interested in aviation and in 1920 purchased his own plane. A crash two years later ended his days as a private plane owner. To promote more radio equipment sales, Mr. Reineke, Kenneth Hance and Lawrence Hamm began the WDAY radio station, receiving their permit May 22, 1922, one of the first 100 stations in the United States. Their first studio was in the bell tower of the Cass County courthouse. The station continued to expand with Mr. Reineke becoming president and general manager in 1934 which he remained until his death. In 1953 it also began television broadcasting. On November 13, 1943 he married Jane Marie Early. She was born August 27, 1900 at Fargo, the daughter of William J. and Alice B. (Collins) Early. They operated the Washington House and Fargo House hotels for many years. Miss Early attended the local schools and took an early interest in ballet and dance. In the 1920s she began the Early School of Dance, later with her sister Alice. In 1930-1931 Miss Early was a professional model in New York City. She then returned to Fargo and the dance school. Mr. and Mrs. Reineke were very active in public affairs. Mr. Reineke was a member of the North Dakota Broadcasters Association, past director of the American Christian Life Insurance Company, active in civic drives, and a member of the Elks, Fargo Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater North Dakota Association. Mrs. Reineke assisted the F-M Community Theatre on dance numbers for various productions. On March 8, 1965 Mr. Reineke died. He was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery. Mrs. Reineke died March 31, 1970. Mr. Reineke established a foundation to be used to establish a permanent memorial in Fargo of an educational or scientific nature to which Mrs. Reineke left half of her estate.