Orion Samuelson started his career at WGN Radio in September 1960, when the presidential election involved Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. She currently serves as editor of Prairie Farmer magazine and Executive Editor for Farm Progress, managing editorial staff at six magazines throughout the eastern Corn Belt. Even farmers dont work that long in a lot of cases and here you are still getting up early and doing what youve done for the last well, since 1952. Farm Progress Show annually hosts more than 600 exhibitors displaying new farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; and many additional farm supplies and services. She began her career with. Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday. She currently serves on the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, the U of I Agricultural Communications Advisory committee, and is an advisory board member for the U of I College of ACES Research Station at Monmouth. Orion Samuelson started his career at WGN Radio in September 1960, when the presidential election involved Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. And for all of the listeners and for all of us who have had the great fortune to work with you here, we thank you. As host of "The U.S. Farm Report" (now "This Week in AgriBusiness" with longtime partner Max Armstrong), he became the best-known voice of agriculture in America. Cause I didnt think I was very important and then somebody said 60 years. Families from the city would spend the weekend on a farm and then the farmers would go into the city for a weekend.. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Since July 2009, Armstrong has been director of broadcasting for Farm Progress. Orion Samuelson and his wife, Gloria, were kind enough to allow me to introduce myself and even pose for a quick picture. Armstrong also was awarded an Alum Certificate of Distinction from the College of Agriculture and a Sagamore of the Wabash, given by the Governor of Indiana. "When I made the drive in my 1949 blue Chrysler New Yorker 60 years ago, I was very uncertain about what I was getting into, because I was a farm kid [thinking], What will I do in the big city?. Read full biography, Yes, Orion Samuelson is still alive [10][11] In 2014 he was awarded the VERITAS award by American Agri-Women (AAW) Organization. Not even Earl Butz had this kind of name recognition. Garth. He transcends generations, says Cerro Gordo, Ill., farmer Jared Gregg. But he remembers the first time he spoke competitively: My knees never stopped shaking!. Samuelson was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, near LaCrosse. WGN Radios Orion Samuelson has graced airwaves throughout the heartland in places across the Midwest and beyond. I didnt know what cattle dairy and beef were.. That is unheard of in this industry., Field Editor's Blog @AgNews_Doran: Best wishes to Orion in his retirement https://t.co/abTEj8w1v7. (And dont you wonder about the kid who beat him? CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) One of the most famous voices in radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later this month. Samuelson: Well, Ive been pleased obviously, but by the same token, Ive been stunned. [1] Broadcast History [ edit] Armstrong's first job out of college was for the Illinois Farm Bureau as a Broadcast Editor, which was where he met Orion Samuelson. This job changed the direction of my career immensely.. I tend to wait until tomorrow, but she said, Look at this now, because we dont wait, Orion recalls. Few partnerships in agriculture are as easily recognized as that of Max and Orion again, by first names only. I was the youngest at the radio station by nine years, he recalled. It was Sept. 26, 1960, and as he headed toward his first day on the job at WGN, a singular thought ran through his head. But times and tastes changed, and in early 1960, ABC bought WLS and converted it to a rock-and-roll station. Armstrong was a member of NAFB for 40 years before being elected president. Orion is one of agricultures few celebrities, known to millions by his first name only, like Cher. Armstrong was full-time with WGN Radio for 32 years until 2009. Samuelson is a 2003 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee. Samuelson considered becoming a Lutheran pastor before deciding on six months of radio school. McDonald now is a TV reporter and anchor at Detroit's PBS station. Samuelson, 81, veteran agriculture-business. The farm broadcaster duo also assisted with Farm Visit Sundays which was organized by the University of Illinois Extension. And trust. There were many tears shed, including from listeners who called in, many of whom never met Samuelsen. Ive gone to 44 countries to cover the agricultural story.I was in Cuba and I shook hands with Fidel Castro, who had a tough handshake, and I thought, if were going to wait for him to go away, were going to wait a long time. At age 26, Samuelson got the call to join 50,000-watt powerhouse WGN, where he began as farm director on September 26, 1960. The first was the cancellation of the network broadcast in 1952. As a farm boy on a milk stool on a cold January morning in a barn in Wisconsin, I could have never dreamed I would have the opportunity to do what Ive done and meet the people Ive met.. Samuelson, 81, veteran agriculture-business reporter for Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, underwent the procedure Monday at the University of Chicago Medical Center. And then I shook hands with Mikhail Gorbachev, you know, two of the world leaders and went to England to broadcast live from their Royal Agriculture Show and when you say, who are the most important people: the farmers, the ranchers and the food producers are, and then all the others came after that. joined Orion at WGN in 1977, and as they spent the next 43 years together on air, they developed a seamless rapport. Reliable and true., And quotable. Orion's net worth hovers over $250,000 - $499,999 with a yearly income that's about $175 - 199,999. He also made history by being the first agribusiness broadcaster to be inducted into the National Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The new routes will shave off 40,000 miles and 6,000 minutes of travel time annually, according to the FAA. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. You cant respond to someone until you listen to them, and you cant ask the right questions until you learn where theyre coming from. [3], Since August 2005, Armstrong has been co-host and co-founder of This Week in AgriBusiness, owned and produced with Samuelson. In addition, the farm broadcaster also met several stars including Sophia Loren, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. [6], During the 1960s, Samuelson hosted an early-morning show on WGN-TV, Top 'O' the Morning, first with organist Harold Turner, then with Max Armstrong. While at WGN radio in Chicago, the "Big O"covered agriculture and food production, met with U.S. presidents, travelled to dozens of countries, and encountered many foreign dignitaries, all while reporting on the contributions of American agriculture to the U.S. and world economy. Orion Samuelson was just 27 years old when he made his way up North Michigan Avenue, striding toward the Tribune Tower. Her quick thinking and determination got him into surgery and saved his life and his voice. DePue: I must tell you that I've got a military background. just before graduating from the University of Illinois in agricultural communications. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "How do you say goodbye to a man who made everyone feel like a friend?". Samuelson was working at WBAY in Green Bay, Wisconsin, when Norm Kraft, WGN farm director resigned on the air. Orion through his work ethic, knowledge and personality had earned the respect of the people there and that helped me immensely when I came on board, he said. canceling National Barn Dance outright. Samuelson: It took me and I still cant believe this, but it took me two weeks to make the decision that I would leave Green Bay and go to Chicago, because Im a country boy. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. "The Big O," as he's known around the station, will continue to deliver five or six daily business reports for WGN until he hangs up the mic and rides off into the sunset with his wife Gloria. Payday lenders operate in 32 states, and about 12 million Americans use payday loans each year. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. ), I dont know what happened to the guy who came in first, Orion says, laughing. Yet even tragedy has a silver lining, because what do you do when youre confined to your bed in a Wisconsin farmhouse? Norma Truman. Thats why I tell young people today to learn everything you can about everything and youll always have a job, Samuelson said. "They werent teaching me to be a broadcaster, they were teaching me to be a writer. Over the past six decades, Samuelson said, he has worked with some of the greatest broadcast people, including Wally Phillips, Bob Collins and Spike ODell. Other people hear it differently than I do, thank God! Working with Armstrong was a success, Samuelson said, because both of them are good listeners. There were host farms in northern Illinois that opened on Sundays for consumers to visit, Armstrong said. Her work in agricultural media has been recognized by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn, Illinois Council on Agricultural Education and MidAmerica Croplife Association. You listen to the radio. (10 years younger) if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'howold_co-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-howold_co-medrectangle-3-0'); Orion Samuelson was born on the 31th of March 1934, which was a Saturday. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. Samuelson's first day on the air at WGN was on September 26, 1960 at "milking time", 5 a.m., at age 26. Max Armstrong (born June 13, 1953, Owensville, Indiana) is an American agriculture broadcaster from Chicago, Illinois. You arent alone. Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, covered the media beat in his hometown from 1980 until his retirement in 2022. Experts warn symptom may return with new COVID strain, 'Waste of time': Community college transfers hit students, Texas baseball player hit by gunfire during game, With Title 42 set to end, White House braces for surge of migrants, Michael J. I think Ive made some progress and then Ill get a call or letter from a listener who wants to know how to tell if a watermelon is ripe just by looking at it, he said. Well known ag broadcaster Orion Samuelson will retire this month after 60 years in the field. There are tens of thousands of folks who are really going to miss you. The Radio Hall of Famer had said he hoped to be back on WGN in time to celebrate his 55th anniversary with the station September 25. And while Orion has covered 19 different secretaries of agriculture and eight presidents, and even dined at the White House, he nearly became a candidate himself for about four days back in 2007. That's because he'd dropped out as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin at Madison after only three months. Holly and her husband, John, farm in western Illinois where they raise corn, soybeans and beef cattle on 2,500 acres. I walked into the studio and I thought, Im working with some big names at a big radio station veterans and theyre going to ignore me! But they did just the opposite, he says, laughing. One time I was at a White House dinner to honor Norman Borlaug. As that door closed in Chicago, another opened at WGN when the station picked up the farm programming torch and Orion was invited to walk in. The second is a parody of the poem " A Visit from Saint Nicholas ." I dont like conspiracy theories. What's behind shortages of Adderall, other meds? He was cut from the same cloth as Paul Harvey. He drove home every weekend to be a polka music disc jockey. [2], Politically, Samuelson supported the production of ethanol fuel from corn, to help American farmers.[8]. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Before the program was over, hed scored a job at WKLJ in Sparta, Wis., less than 20 miles from the home farm. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Orion Samuelson is a 89 years old American broadcaster from . Orion Samuelson has 1 sibling. We operate in different ways. Samuelson held the same position in the broadcasting industry for 60 consecutive years through 2020,[9] second only to Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network announcer Vin Scully. Orion is now single. In some ways, Orion Samuelsons life sounds like a fairy tale: Farm boy makes it big in the big city, travels the world and meets presidents. An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association. COVID-19 has complicated traditional funerals. Parent PLUS loans offer limited relief options but some borrowers can still access lower monthly payments, loan forgiveness and more. Orion Samuelson (/rin/ OR-ee-n; born March 31, 1934) is a retired American broadcaster, known for his agriculture broadcasts and his ability to explain agribusiness and food production in an understandable way. Everyone loved him the engineers and everyone behind the scenes, he describes. He has has served on the National 4-H Council Board of Trustees and in 2017 began working with the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation to raise $500,000 to support livestock programming. Politically, Samuelson is a significant supporter of the use of ethanol fuel as derived from corn, as he feels its use will help American farmers. announced his diagnosis and that he'd been battling the disease for 19 months, Wojo:Jamie Samuelsen brought out all the goodness, in radio and in life, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. All rights reserved. He broadcasts live from the show, then walks around and does reports in front of a video camera. These stories were also translated into Max Armstrong's Tractor App, launched in 2013. If you eat, youre involved in agriculture is the line hes used thousands of times at such events. [2] Career[edit] He called the manager of the station in Green Bay and said he was going to try to steal his farm director..