Jay Jostyn (1901-1976) was an actor in the era of old-time radio. He was elected to The Lambs in 1936 as a Professional member. He served on the board of the American Federation of Radio Artists.
He is best known for portraying the title role in Mr. District Attorney on radio. An article in Radio-TV Mirror in 1952 reported, “He is so generally believed to be a real life lawyer that he frequently receives mail from listeners inviting him to move to certain cities where they feel crimes are going unsolved.”
Jostyn was born Dec. 13, 1910, Eugene Josten, the son of George and Mary Josten of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended St. Joseph’s parochial school, Marquette Academy, Marquette University, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Before going into acting full-time, he had a job with a telephone company.
In 1948, Jostyn had the lead in a touring company that performed The Trial of Mary Dugan. On Broadway, he played District Attorney McDonough in Deadfall (1955).
Jostyn’s career in radio began at WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was the first poetry reader for the station’s late-night Moon River program. He also appeared in early television and films.
In November 1943, Jostyn was elected to a one-year term as third vice-president of the New York local of the American Federation of Radio Artists. In 1944, he was one of seven people elected to AFRA’s national board
Jay Jostyn died June 25, 1976. He was 74 years old.