Web Video: Finding love at Washington Week: A golden anniversary for two original employees

PAUL ANTHONY: I was an accounting major, heading towards a CPA. But about 90 seconds after I took my first course, I realized accounting wasn’t going to happen. I loved broadcasting, played jazz when I was at college, and I wanted to do something in that area. I got fired from a job I had in the summertime, and I went up on campus and met Father Dan Power. Literally crossed paths with him. It was one of those things where if you’d brushed your teeth 30 seconds longer, never would have happened. He took me in his office, sat me down and said, I said, ‘I want to get into broadcasting. Aren’t you part of the new WETA television board?’ ‘Yes I am.’ Calls up Bill McCarter, who was then the ripe old age of the 32 and the general manager. He said, ‘Bill, I’ve got a young lad who says he wants to get into broadcasting, and I told him you would see him.’ So, Bill, realizing he’s got no choice but to get this over with, says, ‘How about Monday morning?’ This was a Friday. Monday I go in. A woman takes me into his office. He tells me why I can’t work for him because I don’t have any experience. And I was leaving and he says, ‘Stop. Okay. Can you work for $75 a week.’ I said, ‘Sure.’ And he says, ‘Go down and see Joanne, who is our accountant, to fill out the W4s and all the paperwork.’ I went down there. I sat with her for 20 minutes filling out these forms. It was love at first sight. Four years later were married. Before we were married, she had the time. She wanted to do some more production kinds of things. These programs are usually done after hours. Seven o’clock at night after everyone went home. And not everybody was willing to stay on and take on these kinds of tasks. She was more than willing to do because she wanted to learn. At the time, it was not unionized, which meant you could do everything. You could be assistant director. You could do makeup. You could do audio. She learned all those things and ended up being a production assistant for many programs but in particular Washington Week where we would come every Friday night to do. We got married in 1968 and that was it. She was an integral part of the show at the very beginning, as was I, but in a different area. She frequently says the reason this marriage has endured is because you like to be in front of the camera and I don’t mind being behind the camera. I hate to say the rest is history, but it’s led to three children, six grandchildren and a long association with WETA and Georgetown, by the way.