The House With the Magic Window: Iowa Time Machine May 3, 1931
- Kevin Mason
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On May 3, 1931, Betty Lou Varnum, host of WOI-TV’s iconic “The House With the Magic Window” for forty years, was born. She hosted for 40 of the program’s 43 years, a run which made the program the longest-running children’s television program in American history at the time.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a former college classmate suggested Varnum as a potential host to managers at WOI-TV Ames. At the time, the station, owned and operated by Iowa State University, represented the only commercial television station in the country owned by a major university. After only two days on the job, Varnum took over as the host of “The Magic Window.”
In its third year when Varnum took the helm, the show aimed at kindergarten-age children took off. As Varnum brought the audience to the Magic Forest to visit special friends like “Gregory Lion,” “Catrina Crocodile,” and “Dusty the Unicorn,” the show became a three-times-a-week staple for Iowa children from 1951 to 1994. Originally conceptualized by Producer Dick Hartzell and WOI-TV artist Joy (Ringham) Munn, the 30-minute educational program featured handicrafts, children’s news, birthday recognition for viewers, a segment called “Let’s Be Friends” featuring children from other cities or countries, as well as popular cartoons like “Felix the Cat” and “Tales of the Riverbank.”
In addition to “The Magic Window,” Varnum also worked on various other WOI projects throughout her career. The host of local talk show “Dimension 5” and a show focused on the struggles of Iowa’s handicapped and disabled populations called “Status 6,” Varnum often highlighted issues important to many Iowans. Also a yearly host of the annual Iowa State Fair and VEISHEA parades, Varnum accrued many honors, accolades, and awards over a long and illustrious career. Betty Lou Varnum passed away in August of 2021. #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar #IowaHistoryOTD
