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Ron Penfound
Ron Penfound
Ron Penfound
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Ronald A. Penfound was a radio announcer and local television personality in the Cleveland, Ohio, market, specifically on WEWS-TV channel 5 where from 1955 to 1971 he hosted an afternoon program for children. As host, he was known as Captain Penny and was attired in railroad engineer clothing.

Key Information

Early life

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Ron Penfound was born on January 28, 1927, in Elyria, Ohio, to Archie and Marjorie (Saywell) Penfound, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

He attended Kenyon College and shared a dorm with actor Paul Newman. He had originally planned to become an Episcopal priest, but then transferred to study broadcasting at the University of Denver.

Career

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Penfound worked as a radio announcer at KLMR in Lamar, Colorado, while attending school (1950). He was an announcer for KVOD in Denver before returning to Elyria as news and sports director at WEOL radio. He also worked at Cleveland radio station WERE as an announcer and salesman.

On April 26, 1953, Penfound was hired as a sports announcer and floorman for WEWS-TV, and began hosting the Captain Penny program on March 2, 1955. During the course of its 16 years on the air, the show featured old cartoons, along with Little Rascals and Three Stooges shorts. In addition, there were live appearances by Captain Penny and a variety of guests. Following a 1961 appearance by actor Chuck Connors, Penfound was given a small role in Connors' show, The Rifleman, in the fourth-season episode #15, "The Princess", in which he played Mr. Smith. It aired 7/13/1961.

During the holiday season, the character of Mr. Jingeling, played by the show's producer, Earl Keyes, would appear. Throughout the year, a feature of the daily program was on a certain day of the week, Captain would present animals from the Cuyahoga County Animal Protective League available for adoption. The segment was known as Captain Penny's Pooch Parade.

In 1957, a second program was added in a late afternoon time slot Captain Penny's Fun House. The show featured Captain Penny (Ron Penfound), Wilbur Wiffenpoof (Earl Keyes) and other guests such as Bobo (an inflated clown). Captain Penny also hosted a 2-hour show Captain Penny's Fun Farm on Saturday mornings.

Captain Penny would close his daily program with the words of advice to his little viewers: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool Mom. She's pretty nice and she's pretty smart. Do what Mom says, and you won't go far wrong."

After the Captain Penny show had its final broadcast on September 4, 1971, Penfound served as weekend weatherman and staff announcer at WEWS. He was also the public address announcer for the Cleveland Indians from 1969 to 1972. Upon leaving the station in 1972, Penfound worked as a sales manager and sportscaster for WKBK in Keene, New Hampshire for one year, before moving to Florida, where he worked in both radio and television.

Personal life

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Penfound married Gail Gilmore in 1951 and had one child, Amy, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1959. He then married Phyllis Yoder Hunter in 1960, with the couple having two children, Tracy and Matthew. Phyllis committed suicide on May 10, 1964, when she jumped off the Cuyahoga River Bridge of the Ohio Turnpike in nearby Summit County. On May 20, 1967, Penfound married JoAnn Dudas and had two children, Julie and Samantha.

Death

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Although Captain Penny never appeared on camera with a cigarette, Ron Penfound was a cigarette smoker. He died of lung cancer in Naples, Florida, on September 16, 1974. He was 47.

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ron Penfound

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Ron Penfound is an American television and radio personality known for hosting the long-running children's program The Captain Penny Show on WEWS-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1955 to 1971. As Captain Penny, dressed in the garb of a railroad engineer, he entertained generations of young viewers with cartoons, comedy shorts from The Little Rascals and The Three Stooges, and live segments, becoming a beloved figure in the local market. His program concluded with a signature sign-off reminding children to heed their mothers' advice: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool Mom." Born Ronald A. Penfound on January 28, 1927, in Elyria, Ohio, he initially attended Kenyon College before transferring to the University of Denver to study broadcasting. He began his career in radio, working as an announcer in Colorado and later as news and sports director at WEOL in Elyria and an announcer at WERE in Cleveland. Penfound joined WEWS-TV in 1953 as a sports announcer and floorman, and launched The Captain Penny Show on March 2, 1955, which aired in various time slots. Following the end of the children's show in 1971, Penfound remained with WEWS as a weekend weatherman and staff announcer, and he also served as a public address announcer for the Cleveland Indians from 1969 to 1972. He later worked in broadcasting in New Hampshire and Florida until his death from lung cancer on September 16, 1974, in Naples, Florida. Penfound also made a brief on-screen appearance in a 1962 episode of the television series The Rifleman.

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Ron Penfound was born Ronald A. Penfound on January 28, 1927, in Elyria, Ohio. He was the son of Archie Penfound and Marjorie (Saywell) Penfound. Elyria, located in Lorain County approximately 25 miles west of Cleveland, marked Penfound's origins in the northeastern Ohio region that would later define much of his professional life in broadcasting. This birthplace established his identity as a native of the Greater Cleveland area.

Military service and college years

Ron Penfound served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following his military service, he enrolled at Kenyon College in Ohio, where he initially planned to become an Episcopal priest. While at Kenyon, he roomed with actor Paul Newman, whose enthusiasm for the college's acting programs prompted Penfound to reconsider his vocational path and consider a career in show business. Penfound subsequently transferred to the University of Denver to study broadcasting, aligning his education with his emerging interest in media. This educational shift marked his transition from religious ministry aspirations to a professional focus on radio and television.

Radio career

Announcing and news roles in Colorado and Ohio

Ron Penfound began his broadcasting career in 1950 while attending the University of Denver, working as a radio announcer in Lamar, Colorado. He subsequently announced for KVOD in Denver before returning to his hometown area in Ohio. There, he served as news and sports director at WEOL radio in Elyria. He later worked as an announcer and salesman at Cleveland radio station WERE. These early radio positions in Colorado and Ohio provided foundational experience in announcing and news before he transitioned to television with WEWS-TV in 1953.

Television career

Early positions at WEWS-TV

Ron Penfound began his long affiliation with WEWS-TV (Channel 5 in Cleveland) in 1953, when he was hired to serve as a sports announcer and floorman. These early behind-the-scenes and on-air duties marked his transition into television after years in radio broadcasting. In 1955, he began hosting the children's program Captain Penny, which became the central focus of his tenure at the station. After the Captain Penny program concluded in 1971, Penfound continued working at WEWS, taking on roles as weekend weatherman and staff announcer. These positions allowed him to remain active on the air in a variety of capacities until he left the station.

The Captain Penny program

Ron Penfound hosted The Captain Penny Show on WEWS-TV in Cleveland from March 2, 1955, to September 4, 1971, portraying the title character dressed as a railroad engineer. The program featured a mix of old cartoons, comedy shorts from the Little Rascals and Three Stooges, live guests, and interactive segments designed to entertain and engage young viewers. Recurring segments included Pooch Parade, which highlighted adoptable pets from the Cleveland Animal Protective League, animal presentations by Jungle Larry and Safari Jane, holiday appearances by Mr. Jingeling, and the Clean Plate Club to encourage children to finish their meals. The show incorporated additional characters such as Wilbur Wiffenpoof (a piano-playing figure), Bobo the Clown (an inflatable balloon toy), and Mister F.W. Nickelsworth (an off-screen assistant). Produced by Earl Keyes, who also portrayed Mr. Jingeling during annual Christmas segments, the program expanded into spin-offs including Captain Penny's Fun House and Captain Penny's Fun Farm. Each episode concluded with Captain Penny delivering his signature catchphrase: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool Mom. She’s pretty nice and she’s pretty smart. If you do what Mom says you won’t go far wrong."

Later roles at WEWS and beyond

After the conclusion of The Captain Penny program in 1971, Ron Penfound remained at WEWS-TV in Cleveland, where he continued as a weekend weatherman and staff announcer. This period overlapped with his role as public address announcer for the Cleveland Indians from 1969 to 1972. He later worked in broadcasting in New Hampshire and Florida until his death in 1974. Details on these later positions remain sparsely documented in reliable sources.

Acting and other media work

Guest role on The Rifleman

Ron Penfound made a guest appearance in the Western television series The Rifleman, marking his only known acting credit in a nationally broadcast scripted program. He portrayed the character Mr. Smith in a small walk-on role in the season 4 episode "The Princess," which originally aired on January 8, 1962. This opportunity arose following a 1961 guest appearance by The Rifleman star Chuck Connors on Penfound's Cleveland-based children's television program Captain Penny, leading to Penfound's reciprocal cameo on Connors' series. The role represented a brief foray into scripted acting outside his primary broadcasting career.

Cleveland Indians public address announcing

Ron Penfound served as the public address announcer for the Cleveland Indians from 1969 to 1972, performing his duties at Municipal Stadium during that period. This role began during his ongoing tenure at WEWS-TV and continued after the conclusion of Captain Penny in 1971, when he shifted to weekend weather reporting and staff announcing duties at the station. His work with the Indians ended in 1972, coinciding with his departure from Cleveland to pursue other broadcasting opportunities.

Personal life

Marriages and family

Ron Penfound was married three times and had five children. His first marriage was to Gail Gilmore in 1951, with whom he had one daughter, Amy. This marriage ended in divorce in 1959. Penfound then married Phyllis Yoder Hunter in 1960, and they had two children, Tracy and Matthew. Phyllis died in 1964. He married JoAnn Dudas in 1967, and they had two daughters, Julie and Samantha. This marriage lasted until Penfound's death in 1974. Penfound raised his family in the Cleveland area during his years as a television personality.

Death

Final years and passing

After departing Cleveland in 1972, Ron Penfound worked in broadcasting in New Hampshire and Florida. Penfound died on September 16, 1974, in Naples, Florida, at the age of 47.

Legacy

Impact as Captain Penny

Ron Penfound's portrayal of Captain Penny established him as a cherished Cleveland television icon, whose wholesome children's programming entertained and influenced generations of young viewers in Northeast Ohio. Through the Captain Penny Show, which aired on WEWS-TV from March 2, 1955, to September 4, 1971, he delivered positive moral lessons alongside cartoons and comedy shorts, fostering a trusted on-screen presence for local families. A notable segment, Pooch Parade, showcased adoptable dogs from the Cleveland Animal Protective League, encouraging viewers to consider pet adoptions and contributing to community animal welfare efforts. Each episode concluded with Captain Penny's sign-off: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool Mom." This message reinforced respect for parental authority and personal responsibility in a gentle, memorable way that resonated with children and parents alike. Penfound's impact as Captain Penny remains documented in local historical accounts, including the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, which recognizes his contributions to entertaining Cleveland-area children through television. While his influence endured strongly within the region among those who grew up watching the program, it stayed primarily local in scope, with little extension to broader national recognition.
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