
Avi Wolfman-Arent is an on-air host at WHYY. He joined the station in December 2014. Before shifting to hosting, he was an education reporter for Keystone Crossroads. Avi graduated from Haverford College and grew up in the D.C. area. Despite the latter he’s a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan, devoting an unhealthy portion of his conscious thought to the Sixers, Phillies, and Eagles. He lives in South Philadelphia.
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The humble push pin was invented in Philadelphia
In 1897, photographer Edwin Moore borrowed $100 and launched a company that would change bulletin boards forever.
2 weeks ago
How cross-Atlantic correspondence ties together a trio of 18th century abolitionists
Philadelphia was a center of the anti-slavery movement in the fledgling United States.
3 months ago
Long live the automat, the Philly-made marvel that turned dining into an assembly line
The first one opened on Chestnut street, eventually spawning 150 coin-operated diners across the U.S. — and a short-lived children’s show.
5 months ago
The Philly-area televangelist who attempted to broadcast from a pirate ship
Carl McIntire was a conservative talk radio preacher who went toe-to-toe with the FCC.
6 months ago
The 1980s Philly sweepstakes charlatan who swindled folks out of $2 million in prizes
After a federal indictment, Chuck Seidman went on to gain Donald Trump as a client.
6 months ago
Delaware’s John B. Wockenfuss was beloved for his quirks. The Strat-O-Matic baseball league that bears the name of this former Phillie and Detroit Tiger is a fitting tribute.
7 months ago
Listen 5:59The first woman police officer in Philadelphia history was a prudish ‘dance cop’ afraid of jazz
Marguerite Walz was part of a racist 1920s movement worried jazz would erode “decency” and encourage race-mixing and promiscuity.
8 months ago
James A. Michener, who won a Pulitzer Prize for “Tales from the South Pacific,” credited his start to a title published in 1930.
9 months ago
One of the era’s biggest recording powerhouses was founded in Northern Liberties.
9 months ago
Red tape: The untold stories of Philadelphia’s 1950s teacher purge
New tapes shed light on an old story: the suspension of 32 Philly teachers during the 1950s. We explore what happened, and what it tells us about ourselves.
Air Date: June 16, 2022
Listen 49:32The Philadelphia Quaker who invented modern work’s relentless drive for efficiency
Frederick Taylor began experimenting with “scientific management” at Nicetown’s Midvale Steel.
10 months ago
A first in 1922: Two Pa. women secure major party nominations for Congress
One was a professor, while the other was related to Ben Franklin.
10 months ago