Overview of David Letterman's Early Life and Career Development in Indianapolis

David Michael Letterman was born on April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. He grew up on the north side of Indianapolis, in the Broad Ripple area, about 12 miles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Letterman admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman, was a florist, and his mother, Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering, was a church secretary. Letterman attended Broad Ripple High School and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas Supermarket. He originally wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades were not good enough, so he attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he graduated in 1969 from the Department of Radio and Television. Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station, WBST, and later became involved with the founding of another campus station, WAGO-AM 570. He credits Paul Dixon, host of the Paul Dixon Show, for inspiring his choice of career.