Cas Walker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Orton Caswell Walker (1903-1998) better known as Cas Walker was a businessman, politician, and personality on television and the radio. He was born in Sevier County, Tennessee. Walker's radio show ran on WIVK-AM in the 1950s and 60s. His television show The Cas Walker Farm and Home Hour [1] ran on WBIR-TV from 1954 to 1971. Dolly Parton began her career at age 9 performing on Walker's radio and television programs from 1956 to 1964. Carl Butler, The Everly Brothers, Jim Nabors and Chet Atkins appeared on his show. He also began the Cas Walker Store's chain of supermarkets. There is a Cas Walker Store in Dollywood.
He became a Knoxville City Councilman in in 1941 and was elected mayor of Knoxville in 1946. He served one year and was re-elected to city council in 1947. In 1956 Walker and another city councilman became involved in a fight on the council floor which appeared in the March 8, 1956 edition of Life Magazine [2].
