Donald T. McNeill (December 23, 1907 – May 7, 1996)

Don McNeill was born in Galena, Illinois. He graduated from
Milwaukee’s Marquette University in 1928 and joined local
station WISN. In 1933, he drove to Chicago to audition for
a struggling morning program called The Pepper Pot. Don
re-organized the hour show as The Breakfast Club and
Within a decade, The Breakfast Club had become radio’s
first, and most successful morning program. By 1941,
McNeill and his cast were were receiving over 100,000
letters a year.

For 15 years, the show was broadcast live from Chicago’s
Merchandise Mart over WLS/Chicago and the Blue Network
(later ABC). For its last 20 years, the show was broadcast
on ABC from various Chicago hotels, including the Allerton.

The Breakfast Club ended its remarkable 35-year network
run on December 27, 1968. It was inducted into the Radio
Hall of Fame in 1989.