This spring has seen the passing of two giants in the history of WNET. John Jay Iselin and James Day were collectively crucial to the development of WNET from the 1950s through the 1980s. Both former presidents of WNET, they helped define the development of public television into the medium it is today.

Mr. Day headed WNET from 1970 to 1973 and was best know for his on-air work with WNET/Thirteen and San Francisco’s KQED.

Mr. Iselin was at the helm of WNET from 1973 to 1987 and brought such programs as Nature, Bill Moyers Journal and The McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour to our air.

At Mr. Iselin’s resignation in 1987, Thirteen produced this tribute. While campy and dated, it’s a great look into our history and his legacy, which began with the live Knapp Commission police corruption hearings and extended through the creation of such still-running programs as Great Performances. The 15-minute video also contains personal best wishes from Bill Moyers, and a head-scratching musical tribute, culminating in a 2-minute goodbye wave from most of the staff.