December 28, 1956…The Last ‘Ding Dong School’ Airs On NBC

‘Ding Dong School’ was developed by NBC’s Chicago station WNBQ and was first broadcast November 24, 1952. The show quickly gained popularity among young children and soon, was broadcast nationally on the NBC network, Monday through Friday. In that year, Dr. Frances Horwich, the shows host and creator, won a Peabody Award. The series is said to have garnered a 95 percent share of all preschoolers at one time. I was one of them…you too?

In 1954, NBC moved the show to New York where “Miss Francis” was put in charge all of NBC’s children’s programming. She held this position until 1956, when ‘Ding Dong School’ was canceled. Horwich owned the rights to Ding Dong School and syndicated the show until 1965.

Before starting the show, Dr. Horwich had earned her master’s degree in education at Columbia University and her doctorate at Northwestern University, and was the head of the department of education at Chicago’s Roosevelt College. She is cited as having invented the television technique of speaking to the children watching as if they were in the same room across from you. Those who subsequently adopted this style included Fred Rogers, ‘Romper Room’ and ‘Sesame Street’. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee