TISS, Wayne

TISS, WILLSON, WELLS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 02:48:15

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, November 02, 1940, Page 5

THEY STARTED HERE
No. 33 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories

Wayne Tiss, Advertising Executive

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Some 20 years or so ago Mason Cityans were flocking to dances at which a group of young Mason Cityans under the direction of Tom Wells were playing some of the most popular tunes of the day.

One of these talented youngsters was Meredith Willson, who has gone on since that time to win himself a top spot as a musician and now as a radio entertainer.

Another member - the cornetist - was Wayne Tiss, who also now holds a top spot - abeit in a different phase - in the radio world.

For Wayne Tiss has gone a long way since the days when the Tom Wells orchestra played in the old Central hall,the Elks club and the Mason City armory.

* * *
Today he is one of the country's finer advertising executives and as such handles the production each week of the Burns and Allen radio show and other radio activities of a large middlewest packing company.

Wayne Tiss was born in Mason City and was reared and educated here. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. George Tiss and they lived on North Pennsylvania avenue. Wayne attended grade school, and then entered the local high school.

It was during his high school days that Wayne played in the Tom Wells orchestra, and the boys modestly admitted that they were pretty good. He also jerked sodas after school in his father's drug store in the old Elks building across the street from Central school.

So all in all, he was pretty busy as a boy, but not so busy but what he showed considerable ability and intelligence as well as a willingness to work. Those are the qualities that have made him what he is today.

* * *
Wayne Tiss hasn't played his cornet for 15 years, but he still likes to remember the old days. He recalls a benefit production in which he participated for the Elks club and the Knights of Columbus.

And recently when he was in Hollywood on business, he and Meredith Willson got together for dinner. Their hearty laughter attracted the attention of everyone in the Brown Derby. Someone had recalled how they used to "borrow" doughnuts off Mrs. Glandville's back porch.

After he was through high school [graduated with the class of 1919], Wayne Tiss went to school at the University of Iowa [a journalism major].

At Iowa City the young Mason Cityan lost no time in getting into the work that interested him most. He began working on the Daily Iowan, the student daily newspaper, worked up to the position of editor. This work gave him the experience he needed for his later work in newspaper and advertising.

* * *
After he left school [graduating in 1925] Wayne went to work for the Des Moines Register and Tribune. His ability was soon recognized and it was not long until he became promotion manager of one of the affiliated radio stations.

The former Mason Cityans' flair for promotion bore fruit, for some of his campaigns were considered most outstanding in the newspaper profession and he won several national awards. He was a director of the Newspaper Promotion Managers association.

Then in 1935 the rising North Iowan went to Minneapolis as promotion manager of the Minneapolis Star. Two years later he resigned the post to accept a position with Bailen, Barton, Duraline and Osborn, New York, one of the country's outstanding advertising agencies.

Now, as BBDD's accounty representative for General Mills, Wayne Tiss handles all public relations and institutional advertising activities for this large milling company, one of the country's largest cereal manufacturers and a gigantic newspaper and radio advertising account.

* * *
And another important account is George A. Hormel and Company, for whom the former Mason Cityan handles all radio activities, including the production of the current Burns and Allen show.

Placing the Burns and Allen program in Wayne Tiss' hands is a real compliment for him for George Burns and his goofy girl friend, Gracie, are heard on a tremendous network of stations including both the red and blud chains of the National Broadcsing system. The hookup includes twenty 50,000 watt stations, the biggest in the country.

The Hormel company first went on the air in April, 1939, when the former Mason Cityan designed a program, "It Happened in Hollywood." This show continued until last summer when George and Gracie took over.

Early in December, 1938, Wayne Tiss was instrumental in putting H. V. Kaltenborn on his first commercial broadcast for General Mills.

* * *
One other accomplisment in the raido field about which the able advertising executive is proud is his production of a program called "The March of Minnesota." An hour long and running for 25 weeks, the show was heard over five Minnestoa stations and featured the Minneapolis symphony orchestra and a series of dramatic state historical events.

"The March of Minnesota" was a stirling (sic) program and won recognition as such when it was given the1938 award for the outstanding program of the year, either local or network.

In addition to his business responsibilities, the former Mason Cityan is chairman of the publicity committee of the Minneapolis Community Fund and is a member of the tourist and publicity committee of the Civic and Commerce association.

That his ability is recognized by BBDD is testified by J. C. Cornelius, vice-president of the company and western manager, who has called him "the nearest thing to a one-man advertising agencey that I know."

* * *
For Wayne Tiss has the remarkable faculty of being able to create in an intangible field. Somehow he knows what the public likes and can give it to them. He has his finger on the pulse of the publice likes and dislikes and can produce a radio program or promotion campaign that goes over with a bang.

The advertising executive is married to a former Iowa girl and they have two children, Ted, 10, and Paula - named for her mother - 3. Mrs. Tiss' parents still live in Iowa City.

With headquarters permanently in Minneapolis, Wayne Tiss manages to keep himself very busy. And busy he should be, for there are few men capable of handling his work. He's gone along way from soda counter in his father's drug store.

And it looks as though he'll go that much farther.

NOTE: Wayne Tiss was born October 24, 1902. He was a member of Mrs. Willson's kindergarten class in 1902.

Photograph courtesy of Globe-Gazette

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2014

Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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