TV Guide February 1956-Not generally known or remembered is that "Romper Room" got its start in Cleveland at WXEL Channel 8 in 1955-56..I believe I read somewhere that Miss Pat Ryan Dopp may have been the teacher then..Notice the then-popular coonskin cap from Disney's "Davy Crockett"
Early publicity photo of the Lovely Miss Barbara-1958-Courtesy clevelandseniors.com
The famed "Magic Mirror" Courtesy clevelandseniors.com
Original Caption:
1962-Joint celebration- two WEWS kiddie personalities celebrate anniversaries this week. Ron "Captain Penny" Penfound enters his 10th year in broadcasting and Barbara "Miss Barbara" Plummer enters her 5th year. Penfound started his broadcasting career as a Lamar, Colorado radio announcer and Barbara answered a WEWS television announcement requesting auditionees for a Romper Room teacher and soon became "Miss Barbara." She's seen Monday thru Friday 9:30-10:00 A.M. on the Sunday Show and WEWS "Romper Room" (and has "graduated" 500 youngsters in the last 4 years), and Penfound is seen on the Noon Show Monday thru Friday at 12:10, the Five O' Clock Show, Monday thru Friday at 5 and the 2 hour Saturday show, 10-12 Noon Sats."--
Miss Barbara and Captain Penny both were at TV 5 roughly the same time-Captain Penny 1957-71 and Miss Barbara from 1958-71-Photo courtesy Cleveland Memory Project
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Mrs. Barbara Plummer. Known as "Miss Barbara" the morning teacher to hundreds of thousands of Northeast Ohio youngsters in the franchised "Romper Room" school..Mrs. Plummer died Saturday, March 20 at the age of 80 from the effects of cancer and pneumonia..survived by her husband, Mr. Gordon C. Plummer, two children and two grandchildren..
After a brief run in 1955-56 on WXEL-Channel 8, WEWS-Channel 5 acquired the Romper Room Franchise starting in 1958 with Norwalk native Mrs. Plummer as teacher..and aired Romper Room all the way till 1971..Mrs. Plummer was also very active in civic and community groups throughout her time in Cleveland..Our condolences to the family at this time..
Here is a link to The Ohio Media Watch coverage of the story, which is where we first heard about it last night..
http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-no-particular-order.html
WEWS Channel 5 coverage..
http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/entertainment/%27%E2%80%98romper-room%27s%27-miss-barbara-passes-away
Cleveland Plain Dealer Obituary:
http://obits.cleveland.com/obituaries/cleveland/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-b-plummer&pid=141049782
Cleveland Seniors profile-Nicely done:
http://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/missbarbara.htm
In addition to "Romper Room" Miss Barbara also occasionally did the weather forecast, sub-hosted for "Paige Palmer" and was "Story Lady" on "Captain Penny"
Interview with Barbara Plummer-WEWS 50th anniversary..
Don Webster memories..at 6:01 Barbara Plummer does the current weather replacing Susan Davies for the segment..
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