Jesse B. Blayton facts for kids

Jesse B. Blayton (1897-1977) was an amazing person who did many things! He was a radio owner, a civil rights helper, a professor, an accountant, and a businessman. Blayton started WERD-AM in Atlanta, Georgia. This was super important because it was the first radio station in America owned and run by African Americans. Later, in 1995, he was honored by being put into the National Radio Hall of Fame after he had passed away.

Jesse Blayton's Early Life

Jesse B. Blayton Sr. was born in Fallis, Oklahoma, on December 6, 1897. His parents were Lester B. Blayton and Mattie E. Carter.

He went to Langston University in Oklahoma from 1915 to 1918.

Jesse Blayton's Career and Achievements

From 1925 to 1930, Blayton taught at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. This college is known as a historically black college. He was a professor of accounting there. He became a popular mentor, helping many young African Americans who were studying accounting.

He also helped start and lead Georgia's Mutual Federal Savings and Loan Association. He was its first president from 1925 to 1971.

In 1928, Blayton passed the accounting exam in Georgia. This made him the very first African-American Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Georgia. He was also only the fourth black CPA in the entire history of the United States!

From 1930 to 1970, Blayton was an accounting professor at the University of Atlanta. People called him the "Dean of Negro Accountants." He really encouraged young African Americans to become accountants. It was very hard for African Americans to become CPAs back then. Many jobs were not open to them until much later in the 20th century.

In 1932, Blayton earned a Bachelor's degree in business education from the Walton School of Commerce in Chicago. He then went to graduate school at the University of Chicago. He earned his MBA (Master of Business Administration) in 1935.

Blayton also co-owned Atlanta's first black nightclub, "Top Hat," which opened in 1937. He was also a part-owner of Brown Boy Bottling Co.

WERD: A Groundbreaking Radio Station

In 1949, Blayton bought WERD radio station for $50,000. This was a huge step! It became the first radio station in America that was both owned and run by African Americans.

WERD's programs were made for African-American listeners. It was a pioneer in playing mostly rhythm and blues music. WERD also played jazz and gospel music. They had public service programs, educational shows, church services, radio plays, and community news.

Jesse Blayton Jr., Jesse Sr.'s son, was the program director at WERD. He hired black employees, like the popular disc jockey "Jockey Jack" Gibson. Blayton believed that hiring black employees and reaching an African-American audience would help money stay within the community.

WERD and Blayton helped the Civil Rights Movement. The station shared information about the movement. It also broadcast speeches from important civil rights leaders. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Southern Christian Leadership Conference was even in the same building as WERD! Dr. King often visited the studio to talk about his organization's activities.

Blayton used politics to help the Civil Rights Movement. His careful approach was both praised and criticized. In 1950, WERD was seen as a major step forward for civil rights in America.

WERD was so successful that in 1954, the Blaytons bought another AM station, KREL, in Baytown, Texas. They sold it four years later.

Jesse Blayton's Later Life

Blayton retired and sold WERD in 1968. But he stayed an active community leader until he passed away on September 7, 1977. He died in Atlanta, Georgia, after visiting a barber shop. He was buried in South-View Cemetery in Atlanta.

In 1995, after his death, he was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame. This honored him for making radio history and for giving civil rights activists a way to share their message.