By Bill Krass
Motlow Buzz Contributing Writer
MURFREESBORO — In the mid-1960s, thousands of listeners from throughout Hawaii turned to their radios every night to hear one of the top DJ's play their favorite rock tunes and make dedications to those "special people.” Their host was "Wild Willy,” who was spinning records every night on the most popular station in the state, KORL, while during the day serving in the United States Navy as the Public Information Officer of the 4,000-man Naval Air Station, Barber's Point.
Fast forward 50 years, and "Wild Willy" is back on the air every week… right here in Rutherford County. You most likely know him as Dr. Bill Kraus, who has been an adjunct professor on Motlow State’s Smyrna Campus for over 20 years, teaching primarily Political Science and First-Year Experience.
Each Thursday from 9 to 10 a.m., you can hear Bill Kraus on WGNS News Radio (AM 1450, FM 100.5, and FM 101.9) in Murfreesboro. He no longer plays the most popular rock ’n’ roll hits of the day, but hosts the WGNS Radio "Roundtable" each week, "visiting" community, academic, governmental and business leaders from throughout Rutherford County. Many of the "Motlow State Family" have been guests to date, including Motlow State President Michael Torrence; Dr. Pamela Harris, Academic Dean of Humanities and Social Science; Professors Charles Whiting, Dr. Robert Fitzgerald, Dr. Laura Booth, and Campus Coordinator Gary Winton. A number of Motlow State students have also been on the air since Dr. Kraus started hosting the show three years ago.
You can listen to Dr. Krauss’s “Roundtable” online at https://www.wgnsradio.com/tags/950/live .
“One of the most interesting ‘visits’ that I’ve had was last summer when I did a remote from the home of former Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn, who was 96 years old,” Dr. Krauss said. “Gov. Dunn, who is known by many as the last of the "Southern Gentlemen,” provided an excellent insight into his leading Tennessee between 1971 through 1975, including the era of ‘Watergate.’ He is the longest living governor of the state.”
The professor added that the weekly "Roundtable" is a good way to always stay current on what is going on, especially in the case of local and state events and activities.
"Some people play golf once a week...I play radio."
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