Allen C. Jeffries · 1971
By Karen Gadbury
Allen C. Jeffries was born July 16, 1910, to Claude and Anna Jeffries on a farm near Roachdale, Indiana, which had been settled by his ancestors.
He attended a one room schoolhouse at Barnard, until junior high when he went to school at Roachdale. His family moved into Roachdale some time later. He was an outstanding student and his principal, Eugene Hutchins, became especially interested in him. He encouraged Jeffries to use his talents for public speaking.
Jeffries graduated from DePauw University with honors in 1931. He married Marjorie Ricketts in December 1933. They had four children, Anne Jeffries Colwell, James C., Allen C. Jr., and Michael A. Jeffries.
In 1946, he spent the summer writing for United Press. Jeffries also served as field office manager for the Federal Security Board for Lafayette, South Bend, and Terre Haute for 10 years when he worked with the Civil Service.
Jeffries when to Indianapolis on October 19, 1947 as a commentator for WIRE radio. At WIRE he won the first annual OSCA award given by the Indianapolis Safety Council.
Jeffries won the award because he announced safety tips at the end of his broadcasts.
He was also a news editor for WBAT radio in Marion, the former WKMO radio in Kokomo, and WOWO radio in Fort Wayne.
Jeffries first started his radio career as a hobby from Lafayette radio station. A newscaster from Fort Wayne heard Jeffries and sent him a telegram. The Fort Wayne newscaster said he got tired of getting up to give 3 a.m. broadcasts.
Jeffries was employed at WISH which later became WIFE in 1956. He also worked at WSJM-TV in St. Joseph, Michigan, and a Columbus, Ohio, radio station, WCOL.
Before returning to work in Indianapolis at Channel 6, he worked for WFBM, now WRTV, starting in 1961.
Jeffries died December 5, 1980 at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. There was a memorial service in East Point, Georgia, on December 7.
Jeffries was cremated by his request. On January 9, graveside services were held at Roachdale where his remains were buried in the family plot.
Journalistic Contributions:
Allen C. Jeffries was a retired Hoosier broadcast newsman and commentator in Indianapolis before he died in his home at Atlanta, Georgia on December 5, 1980.
He worked at WIRE and the old WISH radio stations and WRTV Channel 6. Jeffries was known for his deep vocal delivery.
Jeffries was employed as a commentator for WIRE radio. He had been a news editor for WBAT radio in Marion, the former WKMO radio in Kokomo, and WOWO in Fort Wayne.
While at WIRE, the station was owned by Indianapolis Newspapers, Inc. which publishes The Indianapolis Star. Jeffries delivered newscasts from the Star city room. He often ready copy that was prepared for print. Jeffries ended his radio newscasts with a traffic safety tip.
In 1955, he received the first annual award for radio newscasters presented by the Butler University chapter of Alpha Epsilon Rho, the national professional radio-television society.
After leaving WISH, he worked at WSJM-TV at St. Joseph, Michigan, and WCOL radio in Columbus, Ohio. In 1961, Jeffries then returned to Indianapolis and worked for WFBM, which is now WRTV.
Jeffries was an assignment editor and he became one of two editorial writers for WRTV.
"He was a walking reference book for us on local, national, and international issues," said Howard Caldwell, co-anchorman at WRTV. "He really had one of those fabulous minds that was always functioning."
He was initiated into the Journalism Hall of Fame in 1971 and was an Indianapolis Press Club member. Jeffries was also a member of Sigma Delta Chi and the Radio and Television News Directors Association.
Other Contributions:
Allen C. Jeffries was mostly known for his journalistic contributions. "He wasn’t a big joiner," according to Howard Caldwell, co-anchorman for Channel 6. "He was a newsman’s newsman in the sense that he didn’t want to get affiliated with organizations because of conflicts of interest." Caldwell said Jeffries purposely avoided them so he always could take an objective sort of view.
