Career, 1902-1975

Coe started in broadcasting at age 15, in 1917, and spent the next six decades in the field. In such cases it is extremely difficult to draw clear distinctions between an individual's personal and professional life; consequently, the materials relating to important events in Coe's life are integrated chronologically with documentation of important events in his career. Coe's professional activities coincided with significant developments in radio and television, events which Coe himself helped shape; the documents and other materials in this series reflect Coe's various contributions to the broadcasting field.

Operator's licenses issued to Coe by the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission cover the early years of Coe's professional life. Also included in this series are records pertaining to Coe's military service between 1941 and 1945, when he designed a communication system for the China-Burma-India theater of the war.

Business correspondence between Coe and WPIX-TV, documenting his acceptance of the vice president and manager positions at the television station, relate to events later in Coe's career. A scrapbook is being prepared for microfilming.

Correspondence between Michelle Coe and various acquaintances following her husband's death, much of which pertains to Robert Coe's unfinished manuscript, forms part of this series. Correspondence pertaining to Coe's involvement as a board member of the Broadcast Pioneers Library of American Broadcasting is included in this series.

Artifacts relating to Coe's life and professional career are housed separately. Included is the log book for Coe's first radio station, 9AON and 9ZV. Later in his career, Coe was active in organizations dealing with training and professional development within the broadcasting field; two diplomas from the Institute of Radio Engineers reflect these activities.

Coe's contributions to the field of broadcasting resulted in awards and other forms of special recognition from his peers. Several of these awards are housed with the collection. Of interest is an award from his colleagues at ABC-TV, and a plaque nominating Coe as a member of the "Society of Television Pioneers." Ohio University also honored Coe's accomplishments with an award, located among the artifacts. (See also photographic and audio holdings.