Skip to Main Content

Our Founder

WETA was founded by public television pioneer and Arlington luminary Elizabeth P. Campbell. She guided WETA for more than 40 years, from a fledgling local station to a multi-media company of national renown.

Her vision remains our mission and inspiration today.

Well into her 90s, Elizabeth Campbell continued to come to work every day (and from the start never accepted a paycheck) as WETA’s Vice President of Community Affairs. Her office for a time was located right at the front door (and near the restrooms) so she was guaranteed to see everyone at least twice a day.

Even before she founded WETA, Elizabeth Campbell had made her mark as a leader. Instilled with deep faith and a passion to teach, she championed free quality education and was active in the community all her life.

Her goal in founding WETA was to do more than build a radio and TV station – it was to create an educational institution dedicated to enriching the lives of the people of Greater Washington.

A lifetime of service

Elizabeth Campbell

As a young woman, Elizabeth Campbell was given the gift of education in an era when many were denied the opportunity. She put it to good use, later serving as dean of two institutions of higher learning, including Virginia's Mary Baldwin College.

She married, raised children and could have simply enjoyed the life and quiet prosperity of a lady of society in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Ed, a successful lawyer. But this idealistic woman who prized education and recognized the opportunities it could provide would not rest while so many Americans were denied the same.

Despite the personal costs, Elizabeth supported her husband's successful legal campaign to end segregation in Virginia schools. She chose to work for change by earning a seat on the Arlington School Board — the first woman ever elected to a school board in Virginia. When she had made her contribution and the campaign was won, she and a group of fellow visionaries banded together to pursue a new goal: educational television for Greater Washington.

Elizabeth Campbell founded WETA all those years ago convinced that it could be a democratizing force for education and an alternative voice in television's "Great Wasteland" of trite commercialism. She was right.

Educator, mother, idealist. Possessed of the audacity to attempt great things. Elizabeth Campbell dared to create change in our community and succeeded.

 

Listen to her vision (30 sec) »

Elizabeth Campbell (purple background)

Elizabeth Campbell: A Passion to Teach

Enjoy this inspiring retrospective on the life and career of WETA founder Elizabeth Campbell.

Watch video »

 

Memorable quotes

On the power of television...
“There is something about television that no other medium has. There is a power within it that is more than just what you see and hear.”

On education...

“Education opens doors. A life without education can be one of insularity and emptiness. Our schools and universities are vital resources, but it has been my belief for a very long time that television and radio can be powerful educators as well. However, television and radio are simply broadcast tools — it is the programming that counts. That's why public broadcasting is so important.”

On public television...

“There are three great educational institutions in this country: public schools, public libraries, and public television.”