Bucks County Herald – October 16, 2008

Frederick “Ric” Breitenfeld

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Anyone who still drives into Manhattan and auditions for commercials and theatrical plays each week at age 77 gets my attention. A few weeks ago, I met Frederick “Ric” Breitenfeld via a mutual friend. Former State Senator Ed Howard took me for a bite to eat after his class at Del Val College. When Ed is desperate for a program, he invites me to spend 90 minutes in his classroom. His friend, Ric Breitenfeld joined us for lunch.

Ric met Ed Howard in Harrisburg when Ric was searching for state grants to support public radio and television. For 14 years, Ric was the President and CEO of WHYY in Philadelphia. (That’s TV Channel 12 and radio station 90.9 FM.) “I had spent the day meeting legislators and Ed was my last interview,” Ric began. He was not impressed with the legislative talent he saw in the state capitol. “Ed was the only ray of sunshine,” Ric added.

Public radio and television stations may not sell commercials. Some stations are owned by state governments, others by colleges and universities. In the Philadelphia area, WHYY depends upon voluntary members who contribute $40 or more each year. That amounts to about 50 percent of the revenue, Ric told me. Business corporations make up for 20 percent; and foundations and grants, 10 percent. The federal government through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the state via the Pennsylvania Public TV Network, contribute 20 percent.

For 33 years, Ric’s been an executive at public radio and TV stations in Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia. Along life’s journey, he’s been an actor, writer, science professor, and a U.S. Navy pilot. From 1954 through 1958, Ric piloted fighters, bombers and even blimps. If that’s not a ‘tortes and the hare’ story, I don’t know what is. Mighty Betsy loves blimps and can hardly wait to meet him.

Ric told me why he settled in Yardley even though his colleagues at WHYY suggested buying a house on the Main Line or Chestnut Hill. His wife gave him the perfect reason. “Bucks County is just as preppy as the Main Line,” Mary Ellen told her husband years ago, “but not as self conscious.”

The couple was married 44 years before her sudden death 10 years ago.

It was that life-changing event which brought him back to the stage. Ric’s appeared on CBS, NBC, and HBO television programs; plus film and theatre. He starred as Clarence Darrow, a 90-minute one-man show; Inherit the Wind; The Man Who Came to Dinner; The Caine Mutiny; and Harvey.

“You have to learn how to handle rejection,” he told me. Ric has a one in ten success rate with his auditions in New York City and it takes six hours (round trip) to travel and perform. He’s written for TV Guide, the Saturday Evening Post, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, the Columbia Journalism Review and others. “There’s plenty of rejection in the writing world too,” he advised.

Ric showed me a headshot, which he takes to every audition. On one side is an 8 by 10 photo of him. On the back are his performance credits.

Ric’s had academic appointments at Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Loyola, Cornell, and Penn among others. The stories of his honors and awards would fill a book. So would his previous assignments on various boards of directors. Ric was a trustee at Thomas Jefferson University, a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners and a member of the Children’s television international board of directors, and a host of others.

It was Ed Howard who encouraged Ric to become active in local government. He served on the Upper Makefield Township Parks and Recreation board, followed by a stint on the Zoning board. He even became a Pennsbury School Director.

I told him about my views on running public schools. Precious few school directors have the background to provide oversight, I began. Worse, the Pennsylvania Department of Education mandates the curriculum at the 500 public school districts; and teachers unions dictate the annual budget plus the bill to the taxpayer, I continued. The only power that school directors have is to occasionally choose the superintendent…and constantly take the blame for the property taxes.

“School board meetings were spent mostly on taxes, not on education,” he complained.

We had quite a chat about public schools and the frustration that he experienced as a school director. He summed them up with this thought. “Charlie,” he said. “The main reason why being a school director is so frustrating is the state’s unfunded mandates.”

Ric continues to be a very busy fellow. He’s a trustee at the Bucks County Community College, Valley Forge Military Academy and College, and the Bucks County Foundation.

We got into politics and the presidential campaign. “We have a toggle switch society,” Ric laughed. “Everything has to be either black or white [and it’s not, of course].”

He described life this way: “Life is like a high school society,” he said. “The masses go for big breasts and athletes.”

But Ric was quite serious as he summarized his successful career. “I’ve grown up with two loves, education and theater,” Ric concluded. “I was lucky to be able to combine them in educational television.”

It was a joy to be in his company.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith