A key figure in the early success of WPAJ and, later, WDRC was Walter B. Haase.

Born May 11, 1907, he was educated in New Haven public schools and operated amateur station 1APJ during his high school years.

Haase's first job was a radio serviceman, selling radio parts and sets and installing them. Walter's widow provided some additional background on her husband's early involvement in radio:

"After Walter graduated his mother and father moved to Florida and left him on his own. The first thing was to find a job and of course, where did he go, but to a radio store. Mr. Doolittle had a radio store at that time on Crown St. in New Haven where he and Marty (Italo A. Martino) repaired and sold radios and were involved with a transmitter. They hired him right after high school and that was all the formal education he had. As you know about that time the broadcasting business was advancing in leaps and bounds. This, of course was before my involvement with the station. This information I was told through the years."

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In 1924 Franklin M. Doolittle hired Haase to sell and install the line of radio equipment he manufactured. Over time Walter took on additional duties in the operation of Doolittle's New Haven station, WPAJ.

During the intervening years, Haase worked in all departments of the station including: building and installing equipment, operating, announcing, writing, program planning, and performing. He held the titles Studio Manager, Program Manager and Station Manager as his career at WPAJ and WDRC evolved.

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In 1926, Walter bought his first stock in the Doolittle Radio Corporation. He eventually owned 20% of the company and was secretary of the corporation when the name was changed to Connecticut Broadcasting Company in 1947.

On August 6, 1938, Haase served as site engineer for a live broadcast from the dedication of the Arrigoni Bridge spanning the Connecticut River between Portland and Middletown.

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Starting in the late 1940s the company was anxious to expand into the brave new world of television. By the time WDRC submitted an application for a television license, Italo A. Martino was deceased. In 1953 three applicants were slugging it out before the FCC so Doolittle and Haase agreed to throw in with WTIC Radio to form one television company. Haase became the point man, closely observing New York television transmissions from his summer home in Branford, CT.

Unfortunately the effort failed and WDRC was sold to Buckley-Jaegar Broadcasting Corporation of Connecticut in 1959. His 35-year career came to an end on August third.

Walter B. Haase was 68 years old when he passed away July 19, 1975.