When you've worn as many career hats as I have over a working life spanning some 50 years you tend to meet a lot of people. My careers touched on the military, entertainment, broadcasting, Olympic sports, art, films, and the early days of the Internet, so the number of people who have touched my life has been extraordinary. Plus I am very old!

In most respects, I am identical to my grandfather, John Claude Short. I seem to have obtained very few traits from my father, who, like his father was a veterinarian, and who had enormous people skills. That part I got. The rest would be minor likenesses at best.

My mother, grandfather, great-grandfather, and all the way back to my great (8 times) grandfather William Short I all have remarkable genetic traits dating back to the mother country, England, where in 1634 William Short I elected to come to the Virginia Colony. He did so, because he would be "sponsored" by a headwright for whom he would work seven years of indentured service and in the bargain would learn a trade. In William's case, he became quite expert at tobacco farming and so at the end of his indentured pre-slavery service, he was given 300 acres of land along Lawnes Creek on the James River in Virginia.

William Short I came to the U.S. on the same ship as Thomas Rolfe, who was a good friend. Thomas, of course, is the son of Pocahontas, who upon marrying John Rolfe took the Christian name, Rebecca. There are records that Thomas and William traded properties back and forth in their lives, and with the thirst for tobacco, everything that either of them sold was sent to England to be smoked. William was 22 and Thomas 20 when they arrived in what is now Virginia. Over three generations, the Shorts had become "Virginia Squires" - a title evidently bestowed upon the wealthier residents of Virginia. (I can't explain what happened to it all but whatever wealth was accumulated seems to have disappear as the family spread far and wide after the Civil War when we suddenly had relatives in Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois.

Relatives were good people: William Short VI was Thomas Jefferson's assistant and adopted son; John Short an Illinois farmer known by locals as "Uncle Johnny" bought Abraham Lincoln's surveying tools for a whopping $120 when Abe was virtually penniless but had decided to run for president and so needed to quickly raise cash for the campaign. After Lincoln became president, however, Uncle Johnny gave him back his tools though a few other personal effects of Lincoln's - that he apparently didn't need - survive in our family to this day. I have his syrup pitcher. Sweet.

Lumbering came into the family when, apparently after several generations of woodsmen in Illinois mostly spent clearing woods to become future farmlands, Josiah Short. a grand uncle several times removed, uprooted and traveled west to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, to cut serious timber, which was floated across the lake to awaiting wagons which carried the logs up and over Echo Summit and down to Placerville, California to be turned into everything from timbers to toothpicks. Josiah is buried in a tiny cemetery at Glenbrook, NV close to the hotel and also close to the waterfront. One of the great mysteries today, is who "Little Lulu" was, and whose grave marker, close to Josiah's bears no further inscriptions.

This is getting tedious here but lets jump ahead to when Great Grandfather John Rice Short (b. 1882) arrived in the great western frontier and settled in Burbank. His children came west as well, and for a long time there was a virtually all-family compound of homes at Sixth and Harvard Streets there. Some of the homes of various great uncles still survive today, although my grandfather's home has been replaced by an apartment building. Burbank was the scene of many Christmases. I don't remember ever spending a Christmas with my father's family, all brothers, but far flung. In Burbank we had my mother's two sisters (a third lived down the road - a long trip back then - in Long Beach).

My mother's two aunts are involved in most of my wonderful memories of visiting the southland. Clara and Norma were sisters, Norma was a lifelong spinster and nurse, while Clara was a widow. Her same age grandson, Tommy, was a terrific friend. The two sisters lived together with my grandfather in the huge home originally built by John Rice. It was a giant, creaky victorian-era home, with fruit trees, a fish pond, huge rooms, and two of my great uncles homes next door, and next door to that one. Across the street were more family homes. It was fun, at 7 or 8 years old to be able to walk down the sidewalk and be greeted by relatives who all had grandsons or nephews my age.

I was born in Los Angeles in 1940, and almost immediately we - my father, mother, sister who was 10 years older, and I moved to Dinuba, CA, then to Tracy, CA. It was World War II and meat to send to the troops was a priority so though my father was a veterinarian, he was "drafted" into the job of meat inspector at a Dinuba packing plant. When his father died, leaving my father's grandmother with little support, my dad was able to convince the government to let him off the meat inspection hook (no pun intended) and to assume his father's veterinary practice - therefore being on the other side of the beef business.

It was in Tracy, then, where I made it through elementary schools, avidly assuring myself that I would be a famous actor some day even though I had to make do temporarily - starting at age 6 - with piano lessons. It wasn't going to happen while living in Tracy, though I did get an appearance on a live radio program on KPO in San Francisco originating at the "Old Hearst Ranch in Pleasanton, California... where the sun shines alllll the time!" I got into a few school plays and other entertainment projects (photo above right, which adds my mom if you click on the pic.).

Unfortunately, my parents decided they needed a 6-month vacation and dropped me off one day on my married sister's doorstep, saying "here...you take care of him. We're taking our sinuses to Arizona!" And there I lived temporarily and had to join a much-accelerated 7th grade class mid-year in a strange town, and in a classroom featuring an imaginary line down the middle which divided my 7th grade class from the 8th graders on the other side of the abyss. They were just as unhappy about it, I'm sure. On the other hand: Fortunately, my parents returned from vacation just as the school year was over. Very good timing as I was just about to become the second Will Rogers: "That Principal and I just couldn't agree on how to run that school!"

Moved to Menlo Park, CA where I could start 8th grade in yet another strange town - but this one had opportunity written all over it! In no time, I became attached to the nearby Palo Alto Children's Theatre, still a popular venue and I regained my youthful sanity by improving my 12-year-old acting chops.

Here's proud senior, Jan Claire, age 17, at graduation from Menlo-Atherton High School, Atherton, California in the class of 1958. In my class were the original Wrigley Twins, but M-A is the same high school that spawned 20 percent of Fleetwood Mac! (Lindsey Buckingham, class of 1976.) It was there that art instructor Daniel Umberger taught me the joy of painting, while Albert Schmolze flunked me in Algebra. I finally figured out the Algebra game...it's not whether you get the answer, it's How You Arrive At The Answer!

Legendary coach Tom O'Neil introduced me to the great sport of gymnastics, while Samuel DiSibio scared the hell out of some of those in his english classes! He enjoyed, though, that I was curious about the language, and spent all the time I needed. In November, 2008, he and I re-established contact when I received an email from him - he googled our high school website! Shortly thereafter, we talked on the phone and I eagerly await his scholarly but fun postal letters even though today, I hear alums frightfully whisper his name.

Hard to believe our class of 1958 is already well past our 50th Reunion.

A buddy of mine and I decided to join the Navy. I still don't know what made me do it, but it was the best experience of my life. The official boot camp photo is shown at left. I remember our company, 547, at San Diego - no longer there - raised a huge sum of money ($14) to purchase a radio, one of the of the few forms of entertainment allowed.

A recently unearthed photo of my company 547's
Graduation, Boot Camp, San Diego, September 1958.
I was company Yeoman, front left. (Click pic to enlarge.)

I was thrilled my company in boot camp bought a radio, because teenagerhood and radio belonged together - the predecessor to the iPod, PDA, and Wii! I wanted to be in the radio biz ever since the age of four when I was curious as to how all those radio people could fit in that big wooden box sitting at the end of our living room, merely to entertain my family and me! Was Jack Benny a miniature person? And with a live audience of miniature people? How did they do that?

Broadcasting - radio - was my life. I was an avid listener, but I loved being on the air...and I got my chance in an armed forces radio station in Karamursel, Turkey! A couple of guys (Mickey Martin, Doug Cook) had built a radio station from parts and pieces. There was already an Air Force station on the base, but ours, of course, was Navy. I had to join the team. And did.

We had a radio fundraiser that got the military station staff excited about living in Turkey. We raised money to support Turkish old folks homes and orphanages then we presented the gifts. This picture was on the front page of Istanbul's daily newspaper on the day of presenting C.A.R.E. gifts to Kocamustafapasa Orphanage.

The Turkey experience was truly great. Friends Doug Cook and Mickey Martin started a radio station from scratch on our military base at Karamursel. Soon after, yours truly was doing a radio show on WUSN and wailing away with rock 'n roll hits by Little Richard, Pat Boone, and others.

The sound of "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston still gives me melancholy...and "Tan Shoes & Pink Shoelaces" by Dodie Stevens was another one we played constantly. I don't remember details, but for some reason I was asked to be program manager at KTUS, the Air Force radio station on the same base. But it allowed me to spread my wings a little more.

Jan, age 21

What followed was a stint at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, serving in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations (Admiral Arleigh "41 Knot" Burke.) I was there, awaiting the end of my Naval Career, and just getting down to those lengthier last months, when the Cuban Crisis hit! It was bedlam in the Pentagon, and made the time go by very quickly. By September, 1962, just 4 months after President Kennedy did the big stare-down with Fidel Castro, my military duty was at an end. I stayed in Washington, however, to continue my studies at the National Academy of Broadcasting and a radio job at WTOP, the CBS affiliate there. My superiors at the Pentagon had graciously allowed me to attend night school by shifting my work schedule, and the school term extended past my retirement from the military. So I stayed in a hotel in north D.C. I couldn't have left. I was learning so much and enjoying it immensely. Alice Keith, then president of the school was...well...it was like having Elaine Stritch for your teacher. It was the best of times, great instructors in the english language, announcing, dramatics, music, and there's nothing like having network people such as WTOP's Jamie Bragg, NBC's Chet Huntley and Broadway's Bill McGuire as mentors in broadcasting! Finally I graduated with honors and headed back home.

1963 brought me back to California and specifically to the little, wonderful town of Oroville, CA and work at the local radio station there, and after 4 years, a 15-year stint at KPAY in Chico and their parent corporation, Pacific Northwest Broadcasting. I was able to do everything: music director, program director, production director, operations director and corporate marketing director. I was able to explore all I had learned about the business while dealing some some of the finest people in broadcasting including owners Ned Richardson, Charles Wilson, and corporate VP's Roy Cordell - former singer with Jan Garber's orchestra in the '40s and '50s, and Ron Garner, one of the sterling voices and programmers of one of the most popular radio stations in all of California. What a team. It was a superior group. But I had an itch, and...

1982 brought new adventures, producing the USA-China Gymnastics Tour for the US Gymnastics Federation, which started a whole new 10-year career that included announcing all of the 1984 Olympic Games gymnastics competitions and following that, virtually every televised national competition in the US after that. Working full time for the Gymnastics Federation was a real run. A lot of cities, television, event production, guiding their membership program to an all time high of 160,000 members, and life in Indianapolis ain't bad, either! Some long-time friends who competed in Gymnastics are still around, including a couple who remain in the public eye: Peter Vidmar 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist; Li Ning, China, 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist., Bart Conner, Scott Johnson, Jim Hartung and Mitch Gaylord. On the ladies team, Mary Lou Retton, Kathy Johnson, Tracee Talavera, Michelle Dussere, and Pam Bileck won the Silver medal and several individual gold medals as well. Mary Lou, of course won the all around gold medal and became a household name. Most of the above and I are still in touch thanks to Facebook!

Above, with Mitch Gaylord, star of "American Anthem" and guess who played the gymnastics announcer in the last half-hour of the movie? Yup! In typical movie style I spent a whole week in Phoenix to film what amounts to about 20 seconds on screen, and one afternoon to record all the background dialog spanning a half hour of the production. Go figure!	A "behind the scenes" look at some of the filming of the movie.

Kathleen and I with Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Kelley (Mary Lou Retton). A great couple, and we toured thousands of miles together for quite a long time after the '84 Olympics after Mary Lou had won her gold medal just a few yards from my microphone.

The 12 years we spent working with US Gymnastics were very gratifying and fun, bouncing between the Indianapolis office, and road shows, tours and competitions all over the country. It was never dull!

At right is one of the greats in all of sport, Mr. Bart Conner, a member of the 1984 Mens Olympic gymnastics team that won the gold team medal as well as baskets of individual golds. Bart was in the middle of recording "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" for a holiday show in Indianapolis when the picture was taken. I believe it may have been the first time he sang in public, and certainly the only time he did it while standing in a sleigh in a 17,000 seat arena! You hadda be there.

One of my most exciting career moments involved a brush with probably the finest entrepreneur in the showbiz biz. Tom Collins had handled program and concession sales for one of the Olympic gymnastics tours we did after the 1984 Olympics. He has always done the same type of work for Neil Diamond's tours. Then one day he called me on the phone and told me he has his own figure skating tour and wondered if I'd like to come to Pittsburgh, see the show, and perhaps go on tour as the show announcer.

So Kathleen and I flew to Pittsburgh and were dazzled by the Champions On Ice show. He invited us backstage to join the cast for dinner and by the end of the evening, he had his new show announcer.

The annual ice tour usually took us to more than 35 cities around the country, and it still goes on today as Campbell Soups Champions On Ice. The picture at right features Canadian Ice Dance champion Rod Garossino and many time World and Olympic champion, Brian Orser. The picture was probably taken backstage, or at a reception, in some place in some city. One doesn't keep close track of things when one is in a different city every day. Rod continues to stay in touch, now married and living in the great city of Calgary where he's a public relations guru with a large company. Brian is still out there skating in his singularly classy style.

It is an amazing thing that Tom Collins is able to continually present the top skating talents in the world on the tour. It is even more amazing that all the cast and staff would be gathered in one place at one time for a photo. This one was taken backstage at the old Boston Garden. For a larger version with cast names, click on the picture.

Click here to order the new book
Champions on Ice: Twenty-Five Years
of the World's Finest Figure Skaters

The Champions on Ice tour always led to other activities involving figure skating such as announcing Skate America one year, and a production job for NutraSweet, a skating show at Notre Dame University featuring many skaters including Jill Trenary shown trying to hug the big guy at left.

The sports world is always a fun place to be. You meet sterling people, travel a lot - I was doing 150,000 miles a year - and you eat too much. My well being was starting to be affected. I was getting too old for that sort of life! It wasn't long before Champions on Ice became a relic of history as the pressure on the U.S. economy drove fewer and fewer audience members to the shows and Tom faced a decision I know he hated to make: to close down the show. It was some of the best fun I'd ever had, but I fully understood his situation.

Already having been involved in the Internet world while at U.S. Gymnastics, in 1994 I decided make a new career move into the Internet business, and also, to get serious about my near-lifelong hobby of painting. I accepted a position with News Corporation's Delphi online service, AND I called upon an old friend who had a wonderful television series on PBS called "Welcome to my Studio". Helen Van Wyk was also teaching at her studio in Rockport, on Cape Ann in northeast Massachusetts so I told her I'd like to visit and learn as much from her as I could.

Those of us who knew her were aware that she was seriously ill with brain cancer, and we sensed that we should learn as much as possible from her. So 25 of us converged on Helen and Herb's digs in Rockport and for at least 8 hours a day we noted virtually every word she spoke, carefully describing her painting demonstrations, and - most important - we hinged on every word of her critiques of our paintings. There's more about this session in my Helen Shrine, and samples of my works here.

1994 Led to a new career change, this time into the on-line industry and a job with Delphi in Cambridge, MA, which had just been purchased by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation empire. After a very short time in Cambridge, I was transferred to News Corporation's building in Rockefeller Center smack in the middle of New York City as Senior Project Manager, Design and Architecture, of a new global internet-based online service for NewsCorp. The job involved getting into "Human Factors Engineering" a field in which software is vetted by having actual main-street computer users test it out, and the results tabulated which affects the ultimate released product. It was another exciting time, frenzied, bringing hundreds of new people on board, and construction and staffing of a beautiful new office setting 28 blocks south, in Manhattan's Chelsea district at 18th & Avenue Of The Americas (a term no New Yorker ever uses. It's still "6th Av" to them). There, in an expansive 70,000 square foot headquarters we built iGuide.

Just as quickly as iGuide was launched, Mr. Murdoch shut the company down. I figure he had decided he'd rather be launching TV satellites over China, and build up the 24-hour Fox News Network. I didn't walk away with the feeling he was as certain about his multi-national company's potential within the Internet as he was of television. In any event, we were evidently a lower priority and over 400 people were laid off (with benefits, of course) and that gave the Claires a wonderful opportunity to return to California and to retire. And in my own humble opinion, Murdoch made the right decision as his China TV market is gargantuan, and the Fox News Network has going gangbusters since the day he turned on the switch. I began to realize Mr. Murdoch had given me a golden parachute: a terrific opportunity to do anything I felt I wanted to do. So I retired!

Some retirement. No sitting around under a tree here. Sorry, that wasn't my style, it turned out. Some consulting with internet-related companies and designing commercial websites ultimately led back into working full time, helping establishing a new, locally operated Internet service for the area telephone company, Sierra Telephone. Sierra Tel Internet is now the main Internet provider in the Yosemite mountains area of California. Once the company was completed and things were running smoothly, I "officially" retired - again - in February, 2006 and just as quickly went back to work - just a couple days a week - helping form a corporate communications divison for Sierra Telephone. So I'm "semi-retired" in old-person-speak.

In 1999, Kathleen and I also formed a Petanque Club in Oakhurst with 60 of our friends as members, and the club now has 80+ members, many of whom compete in national events, as well as the weekly local games.

Always having a sideline or two going, I've completed writing the book of a new Broadway musical, in association with longtime friend, Jerry A. Ranger. That's Jerry's real name, so it's a natural that he has become one of the most talented and sought-after music A-rrangers and show producers in the concert/musical business! Jerry, and his lovely former-vocalist-now-lawyer wife Linda are great friends for last 30 years, so it was only natural that Jerry - leader of the great New Deal Rhythm Band for all those years on the road, and arranger for all those great sea cruise shipboard musicals - would settle in L.A. and we'd work together again. This time I wasn't promoting his band, but, instead, as sitting behind a computer writing a show called "Off Shore." It is about a hilariously varied group of members of the A.R.P. (Association of Retired Prostitutes) booking a cruise ship (the S.S. Luna Sea) for their annual convention, and with their law firm as guests on board. (The name of the ship indicates what takes place on the stage!) The reason for the meeting is to figure out some fairly legal ways they might establish a pension fund for the retiring members of the ARP. The rest of the story is on Jerry's website. The music he has put together - the tunes, lyrics and orchestrations - are first rate, and the whole show will be a lot of fun, and it's relatively G-rated! We're currently in the "Hey! Mr. Producer" stage. We're in the re-write and actor-readings stage now, and on the horizon will be a full fledged production of the show. Once we quit fooling around with new ideas! And since I could, I did it again: On February 27th, 2006 I retired. For real this time. Except for a bit of consulting work.

And life goes on, in beautiful Oakhurst, California among the Sierra mountains, that the Claires reside, work and interact with the members of this friendly, upstart mountain village just 13 miles from Yosemite National Park.

Tune in again...who knows what the next chapter will bring, or where we'll land. We're pretty flexible at this point. We may live our dream of living in another country for a while. We'd love to go back to Turkey to which I have been hopelessly bonded for the past 47 years. Seeing Tuscany has also been been a priority for many years. But then...there's the Broadway show...the Petanque gatherings, and we want to be able to juggle it all. Film at 11:00.

Please visit my Helen Van Wyk Tribute Page. As one of the dominant mentoring, calming, and sane influences in my artistic life, she will never be forgotten by all her many students. Least of all by me.