Over to You, Mr. President: The Way It Was, 8 February

1922---Just over three months before his administration (via Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall) was to begin boiling over Teapot Dome (the scandal that will begin with Fall's exposure for having accepted $404,000 worth of gifts to lease public oil reserves to oilmen Harry F. Sinclair and Edward Dolheny without competitive bidding: the leases were legal but the gifts were not), President Warren G. Harding had a radio installed in the White House.

Harding is also the first American President to have spoken on radio directly.

AIRWAVES . . .

1924: AIR GENERAL---A Chicago speech by military General John Joseph McCarty is the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast hookup.

1929: PLAYING KOY---Phoenix, Arizona radio station 6 BBH begins broadcasting under its newly approved change in call letters, to KOY. One of the station's earliest employees, according to its own history notes, is a twelve-year-old boy whose job it is to sweep the floors of owner Earl Nielsen's combination of sporting goods store and radio station. The boy's name: Barry Goldwater.

Three years after receiving the call letters, KOY becomes an affiliate of the Columbia Broadcasting System.

CHANNEL SURFING . . .

1933: TARZAN TO THE RESCUE---After rescuing Professor Porter's party, Tarzan (James H. Pierce) returns to his jungle to face a challenge to his leadership of the apes and a new rescue to perform---Jane (Joanne Burroughs), who's been kidnapped by pirates, on today's episode of Tarzan. (Syndicated.) Based on the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

1944: MUDDLING WITH THE MENJOUS---Adolph Menjou and his wife Veree Teasdale get their crack at getting muddled by Gracie---who opens the broadcast with a gentle appeal for more war bond buying---as she and George celebrate their wedding anniversary while the Menjous split over a dubious quarrel, on tonight's edition of The Burns & Allen Show. (CBS.) Also stars: Elvia Allman, Mel Blanc, Jimmy Cash, Felix Mills and his Orchestra.

1954: McGEE'S NEW DIAL PHONE---He simply has to have one after one of his more annoying lodge buddies turns out to have one first, on today's edition of Fibber McGee & Molly. (NBC.) Writer: Phil Leslie. Also starring: Arthur Q. Bryan, William Thompson.

PREMIERING TODAY . . .

1886---Charles Ruggles (actor/comedian: Texaco Star Theatre, Suspense, This Is My Best), Los Angeles.
1902---Lyle Talbot (actor: Your Hollywood Informer, Calling All Cars, The Unexpected), Pittsburgh.
1905---Truman Bradley (announcer: Easy Aces, The Red Skelton Show, Drene Time), Sheldon, Missouri.
1908---Myron McCormick (actor: Portia Faces Life), Albany, Indiana.
1911---Judith Allen (actress: The Shadow), New York City.
1913---Betty Field (actress: The Aldrich Family), Boston.
1914---Margot Stevenson (actress: The Shadow), New York City.
1917---Robert Dryden (actor: We Love and Learn, Call the Police), unknown.
1920---Lana Turner (actress: The Abbott and Costello Show, Lux Radio Theater), Wallace, Idaho.
1925---Jack Lemmon (actor: Dimension X, X Minus One), Boston.
1931---James Dean (actor: Hallmark Playhouse), Byron, Indiana.