Holcomb in the early days at WEEU

Bird Man of Berks County

During his 44 years at the Berks County (Pennsylvania) radio station, Jack Holcomb ’56 has seen a lot of changes in the world of radio broadcasting. "When I came to WEEU they didn’t have a tape recorder, and they had a wire recorder that didn’t work," he recalls. "I guess the technological changes in radio from tubes and tapes to computerized digital systems are the most phenomenal things I’ve witnessed." His own four and a half decades on the air --- during which time he has been an announcer, disk jockey, musical show host, play-by-play sports announcer, and talk-show host --- have allowed him to change as well. His talk show, Feedback, evolved from a bird-watching call-in show to a regular staple for the community, covering issues ranging from land preservation to pollution to community events.

Along the way Holcomb learned about birds. At first, he says, "The only birds I knew about were the Canada goose and the robin." Since then he has served as president of the Baird Ornithological Society and on the board of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, where he also does hands-on volunteer work. He is passionate about environmental issues and believes firmly that he can make a difference on the local level --- working, for instance, to keep a regional lake clean and advocating sensible zoning regulations.

Last year Holcomb turned his daily show over to a younger successor. These days as he makes the transition, or "migration," as he prefers to put it, into retirement, he is still hosting his own weekly show, Jack’s Back Yard, making public appearances, doing freelance voice-over work, taking photographs, helping with behind-the-scenes work at the station, hiking, and, of course, bird watching.