Special Collections
Wilder Wylie Collection

Wilder Wylie (1922-1958) was born on February 5 in Fargo, North Dakota. He graduated with distinction from Stanford Radio Institute, Stanford University in 1945, and became a copywriter at the KIDO-NBC radio station in Boise, Idaho. During his tenure there, he wrote scripts for numerous radio programs including "KIDO Showcase," "Fashion Club," and "Down Memory Lane with Kathryn Kane," among others.

Wylie left KIDO in 1948 and went to Los Angeles where he became an account executive for the media production agency of Young and Rubicam in 1949. For the next nine years, he was involved in various radio productions including the Bob Hope Show, the Halls of Ivy, the Amos and Andy Show, and the Bing Crosby Show. He also worked on the planning of the "Today Show," a long-running NBC-TV morning program. Wylie died of a heart attack on May 28, 1958 in Los Angeles at the age of 36. The Wylie Collection consists of radio scripts for KIDO-NBC, the Bob Hope Show, various radio plays produced by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), as well as scripts for several television shows. In addition, there are several television commercials for the Borden Company and three broadcast schedules.

Special Collections is a non-circulating and non-browsing resource center. The Special Collections Reading Room is open to researchers Monday through Friday during the academic year. Public service hours for the current semester are listed at http://library.umkc.edu/spec-col/index.html#hours but researchers are encouraged to call ahead for verification of hours due to University intersessions and other events. Special Collections is located on the fourth floor of the Miller Nichols Library at 5100 Rockhill Road in Kansas City, Missouri. All inquiries concerning access to the collections should be addressed to Special Collections Library Information Specialists Teresa Gipson or Kelly McEniry.