Editing Gordon Jump (section)

==Early life==
Born Alexander Gordon Jump, Jump was raised in [[Centerville, Ohio|Centerville]], a suburb of [[Dayton, Ohio]]. He graduated from Centerville High School and enrolled in [[Otterbein University|Otterbein College]]. After his first year, he transferred to [[Kansas State University]] studying broadcasting and communication; he was a member of [[Kappa Sigma]] fraternity. He got his first television job with [[WIBW-TV]] in [[Topeka, Kansas|Topeka]]. He dabbled in "writing, producing, and directing" while at the station.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Kassel|first=Michael B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x-esBmJWj3sC|title=America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati|date=1993-06-15|publisher=Popular Press|isbn=978-0-87972-584-6|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|17}} Jump was the title character in WIBW's "WIB the Clown", an educational children's program. He reported the weather on the channel and was not always able to get his clown makeup off in time.

In September 1961, he returned to Dayton and joined [[WDTN|WLWD]] as the station's director of special broadcast services.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/404253984/ |title=WLW-D names Gordon Jump |agency=[[Dayton Daily News]]|date=19 September 1961 |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> He continued as a producer and on-air personality at WLWD, hosting ''Gordon Jump{{'}}s Fun Time'', a popular show for younger children,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/394490197/ |title=Gordon makes successful Jump into local TV, not Minowland |agency=[[Dayton Daily News|The Journal-Herald (Dayton, Ohio)]]|date=27 September 1961 |access-date=25 October 2022}}</ref> and ''High Time'', a variety series,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/404380723/ | title=Dayton Daily News 09 Nov 1962, page 15 }}</ref> before moving to [[Los Angeles]] in 1963 to pursue acting.<ref name=":2" />{{rp|17}} Later in his life, Jump converted and became a member of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church).<ref name=":0" />{{rp|1}}