Not many people decide to change careers when they’re in their mid-70s. But University Professor Emeritus of chemistry Ray Wolfe, who will turn 84 years old on June 1, did just that.
Though Wolfe has always been socially active, he decided in 1997 to join the Board of Directors for Community Television of Lane County. Wolfe wasn’t just an average volunteer, however; he attended every meeting during his five-year service with the board.
Tom Cleveland, who currently serves on the Board of Advisors for CTLC, said Wolfe played a crucial role in getting the station off the ground.
“Without Ray, we would not have been able to save community television,” he said.
After joining CTLC, Wolfe, who had no previous experience in television, began producing and directing his own television show for the station. He said the inspiration for his show “In the Public Interest” came from the lack of good local programming on television networks.
“Because of network corporations and the need for advertising, local programming is almost all lost,” Wolfe said.
Though Wolfe is no longer the “young” 76-year-old man he was when he got into the business of community television, he is still very active in the studio. Cleveland said Wolfe “has done everything at the station that there is to do, and more.”
George Beres, the show’s host, said Wolfe even performs physical tasks around the studio. For example, when a light falls out of place on the scaffolding, “it’s Ray that will roll out the long ladder to adjust it.”
Additionally, Wolfe directs and edits his program, recruits his volunteer crew and has even served as the station’s programmer.
Wolfe’s show covers a variety of topics, including the environment, political and social problems and current election-related issues. Recently, the show hosted Eugene attorney Ed Monks and talk-show host Dan Carlin to debate the issue of corporate ownership in radio. Wolfe also broadcasts interesting local events, such as the Sustainable Business Symposium and the Medical Ethics Symposium, on his show.
Wolfe said he’s the ultimate media watchdog, because he’s driven by the desire to keep the public informed and the government accountable.
“If anyone observes what’s going on in city government, they’ll find controlling influences that may not be in the public interest,” he said.
Beres echoed Wolfe’s sentiments.
“Ray has a very real sense of public conscience … (he) is concerned about keeping the public alerted,” he said.
Wolfe was most recently involved in organizing a series of interviews for all mayoral and city council candidates, which were free to the candidates themselves. Though the program was officially produced by Community Television of Lane County, Wolfe did the majority of the work, according to Cleveland.
Wolfe said he worked on the project because he felt it was a way to “level the playing field” between candidates, adding that television time is expensive and many candidates can’t afford it. Only half the questions were given to the candidates beforehand, so that experienced incumbents wouldn’t have an unfair advantage over challengers.
Wolfe said his reasons for staying so active can be summed up in a quote from Barbara Jordan, the first black woman from the South to serve in the U.S. Congress.
“‘Government is too important to be a spectator sport,’” he said. “I think that’s a classic statement.”