Holly Spangler has covered Illinois agriculture for more than two decades, bringing meaningful production agriculture experience to the magazines coverage. First, Orion won the section, and then he went to state, and then he placed second in all of Wisconsin. If someone brought Orion fresh sweet corn or asparagus, he shared it with the engineers. [1], Armstrong's first job out of college was for the Illinois Farm Bureau as a Broadcast Editor, which was where he met Orion Samuelson. 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. TROY, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Lake Orion man hit the pavement this weekend to run a marathon for a great cause to give back to Henry Ford Health. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. The surgeon commented that Orion is further along than patients half his age. Orion Samuelson was just 27 years old when he made his way up North Michigan Avenue, striding toward the Tribune Tower. Gloria Samuelson may get the biggest credit of all: saving Orions life. Televised "Hometown Heroes" featuring Orion Samuelson to air on NewsNation on Dec. 18. Samuelson: Thats probably one of the biggest compliments I get from city listeners in Chicago or suburbs or other cities who say, I didnt know what soybeans were. "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. Thats a lesson we should all learn, he adds quietly. Orion Samuelson was honored at the 2010 Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo in Wisconsin Dells. She would never subscribe. Well known ag broadcaster Orion Samuelson will retire this month after 60 years in the field. Orion Samuelson was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, near LaCrosse. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bush, who invited me to join him at the White House studio for the interview.. The University of Illinois also presented Samuelson with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters. It is the dying refrain of a completed song, the final verse of a finished poem.Andr Maurois (18851967). Orion Samuelsons decades of agriculture reporting has helped farmers understand the latest Washington policies and he has also helped all audiences appreciate the importance of agriculture to our communities and to the economy.. 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He also serves on the Farm Foundation Bennett Round Table, and is a former member of the board of the Agriculture Future of America, the Board of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, the board of directors of the Foods Resource Bank, a former trustee of the Cornerstone Foundation of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and a former member of the board of trustees of the National 4-H Council. Orion and his first wife adopted two children, David and Katheryn. A. The farm broadcaster duo also assisted with Farm Visit Sundays which was organized by the University of Illinois Extension. Having trouble filling a prescription? Luckily for farmers, Samuelson had once considered becoming a Lutheran pastor before heading off to radio school. Wind noise is frequently loud on the tape. Orion and I played a significant role in helping publicize that which happened 45 or 50 years ago., Its a remarkable thing that Orion has been on the air at the same station in a major market in the U.S. for 60 years, Armstrong stressed. Reverence, always. That is unheard of in this industry., Field Editor's Blog @AgNews_Doran: Best wishes to Orion in his retirement https://t.co/abTEj8w1v7. Orion says he tried to pass along two pieces of advice to his children: Always be honest in what you do, and speak your thoughts, but dont let politics or religion destroy relationships. Memorials may be made to Heartland. In addition to its syndication run, the show is broadcast on RFD-TV. If you dont listen to your interview guests response, you wont be able to respond with something that is knowledgeable.. At 97.1, which he joined in 2012, he first co-hosted with News columnist Bob Wojnowski for four years, and since 2016 he has worked with Mike Stone. For 42 years, Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson have partnered together, first on WGN radio, and later on the TV Show U.S. Farm Report, until creating the show This Week in Agribusiness.[1]. The bronze plaque is in the sidewalk outside the Tribune Tower studios at 435 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It was devastating. 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. I can recall the volume going up and our little voices being muted in my grandpas truck when Orion came on. In the clip the announcer says, "Now, here's Orion Samuelson," but Orion seems not to have heard! Her quick thinking and determination got him into surgery and saved his life and his voice. "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?. This would turn out to be his trademark generosity, as he mentored dozens of young broadcasters and interns over the coming decades. Samuelson: Well, because we were able to talk more than planting corn or soybeans. They also spend about five weeks a year at their home in Scottsdale, Ariz. The family farm includes Johns parents and their three children. 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. Orion's spirits are high and he is looking forward to returning to the airwaves as soon as he gets the 'go ahead. . Later, Orion would earn an honorary doctor of letters from the U of I. No ones shared more airtime with Orion than Max, and hes the first to admit he got a lot of spillover from Orions popularity. You can find a comprehensive archive of his material here. At the time, Samuelson credited 4-H with igniting his passion for agriculture and his first experiences with public speaking, ultimately leading to his broadcasting career. She replied that she read them occasionally, and that was enough. Samuelson hosted a similar show, This Week in Agribusiness, along with his longtime collaborator Max Armstrong, until his retirement, and continues to make occasional commentaries on that show with Armstrong as host. He gave an emotional update last Monday on the air, saying he wasn't saying his goodbyes, but colleagues feared otherwise. These days, Orion is dialing back obligations and busy recovering from back surgery. Like regular Orion, Air Orion will retire soon, too. Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday. [1] He produces and hosts the Farm Progress America and Max Armstrongs Midwest Digest daily radio programs. updated October 9, 2020 (Her name, can also be written Sun-kil Choi, Sun Kil Choi or Choi Sun-kil but that is not so accurate.) Orion Samuelson and his wife, Gloria, rode in the local parade as Grand Marshal on the final day of the festival. This job changed the direction of my career immensely.. The Wisconsin farm boy got a lot of surprises in Chicago, including flattened tires for parking in the wrong spot and a missed market report or two, thanks to slow elevators in the Tribune Tower. And trust. On the eve of his 60th anniversary as the booming voice of agriculture and business at WGN 720-AM, Orion Samuelson says it's time to retire from the Nexstar Media Group news/talk station. Throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Prairie Farmer owned WLS, airing farm and rural programming such as the National Barn Dance and more. [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. Samuelsen worked in the Detroit sports-media landscape since 1994, at a variety of radio stations, but most notable WDFN 1130The Fan and WXYT 97.1 The Ticket. (And dont you wonder about the kid who beat him? Tuesdays comment of the day: Irv Leavitt: I have recently developed the lazy habit of leaving WGN Radio on after a White Sox game, and I've been treated to product that varies from relatively intelligent to downright maddening. She also had high praise for his care at University of Chicago. It wasnt what you would call prime farmland, he says. I start speeches generally by saying, who would have thought that a cow milker from Wisconsin would meet nine presidents and any number of secretaries of agriculture and would write a book and would be a broadcaster for all of these years? Check Background Get Contact Info This Is Me - Edit Reputation & Background View All 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. Kathryn Samuelson, Judith Samuelson, Gloria Samuelson, James Warren and Lois Long, and many others are family members and associates of Orion. That mildly understated assessment launched the phenomenally successful WGN career that Orion is now retiring from, 60 years later. On December 9, 2010, the southwest corner of E. Illinois Street & N. Cityfront Plaza Drive was named 'Orion Samuelson Way' by the city of Chicago. He has since retired from that position, with John Phipps replacing him. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Last night, apropos of little to nothing, one of the hosts intoned that The New York Times and The Washington Post were far too left-wing for her to read. He didnt find what he as looking for there, though, and within a few weeks, he transferred to the American Institute of the Air in Minneapolis, a six-month program that promised a radio broadcasting certificate. Their operation includes 125 head of commercial cows in a cow/calf operation. Monticello, Ind., farmer Brian Scott says his grandpa said the same thing after nearly every lunch: Orion said . Samuelsen missed significant time over the last month as the diagnosis got worse. Truman. Farm Report in 1975 and. Jamie Samuelsen's wife, local TV personality Christy McDonald, thanked friends and fans for the significant outpouring of support in the days since Samuelson died from colon cancer. He was a good guy and a good listener.[3]. The show moved to Chicago's WGN-AM, with Orion Samuelson as the show's host, until it finally left the air in 1968. And then Id drive 17 miles to the radio station, Id get home in time to help milk cows at night. If you eat, youre involved in agriculture is the line hes used thousands of times at such events. The number of Americans seeking mental health treatment isalmost twiceas high as it was two decades ago. From 1977 to 2009, Armstrong was the agri-business broadcaster for WGN Radio[2] before the program transitioned to a weekly Saturday morning show and accompanying podcast entitled The Morning Show with Orion and Max. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, covered the media beat in his hometown from 1980 until his retirement in 2022. From 1975 to 2005, Samuelson was the host of U.S. Farm Report, a weekly television news magazine dedicated to agriculture. She was named an AAEA Master Writer in 2005. From meeting with government officials and dignitaries around the world to serving as a mentor to young men and women preparing for careers in agriculture. Orion Samuelson has 1 sibling. 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. Read full biography, Yes, Orion Samuelson is still alive But times and tastes changed, and in early 1960, ABC bought WLS and converted it to a rock-and-roll station. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. CHICAGO ( NewsNation Now) One of the most famous voices in radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later this month. Fox says disease is getting tougher, These were the deadliest national parks of 2022, List of most expensive ZIP codes released, These are the cheapest days of the week to buy gas, Correspondents Dinner requires balance: Comics, Oklahoma students attend star-studded Christian revival, Expert: Some bright spots in spring housing market, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. After graduation, he moved to Grinnell, Iowa, where he lives with his wife, Heidi. Other people hear it differently than I do, thank God! Young Orion was a tall kid headed for the basketball team the summer before high school when he was afflicted with a rare disease known as Legg-Perthes disease. Max and Orion spent 31 years together on WGN, until Max left in 2009 to join Farm Progress. Not even Earl Butz had this kind of name recognition. Orion's net worth hovers over $250,000 - $499,999 with a yearly income that's about $175 - 199,999. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. Later, Orion would earn an honorary doctor of letters from the U of I. That's because he'd dropped out as an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin at Madison after only three months. They had a lot of misconceptions about the role food producers play in our economy and our society, Samuelson said. Orion Samuelson started his career at WGN Radio in September 1960, when the presidential election involved Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. 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. Before the program was over, hed scored a job at WKLJ in Sparta, Wis., less than 20 miles from the home farm. He called the manager of the station in Green Bay and said he was going to try to steal his farm director.. Hell retire from WGN Radio at the end of this month, recording a landmark 60 years on WGN and creating original television programs such as U.S. He was much better than I would have been, Orion reassures. He was born on March 31, 1934 in . He listened to the veterans around him, picking out the good things they did that people liked. Please help me find a news bloopers with Orion Samuelson. CHICAGO (September 24, 2020) - WGN Radio announced that legendary agribusiness broadcaster Orion Samuelson will retire on December 31, shortly after celebrating his 60th anniversary with the station. 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. He was the voice on the radio but part of the farm family. Families from the city would spend the weekend on a farm and then the farmers would go into the city for a weekend.. An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association. Few partnerships in agriculture are as easily recognized as that of Max and Orion again, by first names only. Everyone loved him the engineers and everyone behind the scenes, he describes. Sirott: Orion, judging by all the listeners whove been calling us in the morning, people dont care how old you are. CHICAGO ( NewsNation Now) One of the most famous voices in radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later this month. Samuelson was heard on WGN radio in Chicago for sixty years as the station's head agriculture broadcaster from 1960 through 2020. Samuelson now hosts a similar show, This Week in Agribusiness, on RFD-TV, along with Armstrong. Samuelson is a 2003 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee. [3] He considered becoming a Lutheran pastor before deciding on six months of radio school. Copyright 2023. Heres how the Chicago media icon has told agricultures story. On December 9th 2010 the southwest corner of E. Illinois Street & N. Cityfront Plaza Drive was named 'Orion Samuelson Way' by the city of Chicago. The University of Illinois presented Samuelson with the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. I would listen to Maxs ideas and he would listen to mine and that would evolve into stories that made interesting watching and listening on the radio and television stations we were on, he explained. Parent PLUS loans offer limited relief options but some borrowers can still access lower monthly payments, loan forgiveness and more. What's behind shortages of Adderall, other meds? 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. Growing up on the farm Samuelson was expected to take over the family business, but a leg disease made it impossible to do heavy work. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Armstrong was a member of NAFB for 40 years before being elected president. Orion Samuelson is an American broadcaster most widely known for hosting U. S. Farm Report. In 2011, Holly was one of 10 recipients worldwide to receive the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Ag Journalism award. He was also on President Ronald Reagans short list for secretary of agriculture, which ultimately ended in John Blocks selection. Orion is one of agricultures few celebrities, known to millions by his first name only, like Cher. "The American Farmer's Best Friend for Over Sixty Years" tells about his humble beginnings on a Wisconsin dairy farm and how his big dreams led to a Hall of Fame career in broadcasting, travels to 43 countries, dinner at the White House and, most importantly, the trust of the hard working men and . And he championed the farmers cause. His voice is synonymous with agriculture news and after January Orion Samuelson will be stepping away from the microphone. Max Armstrong joined Orion at WGN in 1977, and as they spent the next 43 years together on air, they developed a seamless rapport. Sirott: You had to be pinching yourself at times along the way? WGN Radio's Orion Samuelson has graced airwaves throughout the heartland in places across the Midwest and beyond. Theres a saying that todays news is tomorrows history, said Perdue. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. The second is a parody of the poem " A Visit from Saint Nicholas ." He went one further when he got Orion into public speaking contests. In addition, the farm broadcaster also met several stars including Sophia Loren, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
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