A true pioneer of the broadcasting industry, Montana-born Sybil Paull was an accomplished telegrapher and radio operator. Often referred to as history’s first disc jockey, she played music from phonograph records on Charles Herrold’s historic early broadcasts from San Jose.
The two had met while Sybil was a student at San Jose State Normal School (now San Jose State University). Sybil Paull found herself teaching Morse code at Herrold’s College of Wireless. Starting in 1912, she developed a weekly Wednesday night program of entertainment for Charles Herrold’s broadcasting experiments.
Local music stores would loan records to the Herrold enterprise. Businesses such as Sherman-Clay found that “airplay” would drive in-store sales. The Wiley B. Allen Company, which sold Victrolas and sheet music, entered into an agreement with Herrold’s College allowing them to operate a “listening studio” in the store to encourage public interest in radio technology.
Sybil received postcards from listeners, specifying their location. She catalogued these as a way of measuring the strength of the Herrold station’s signal.
Charles Herrold and Sybil True would marry in October 1913 and divorce in 1924. Sybil re-married and adopted new husband Henry True’s last name.