Orion Samuelson is a 89 years old American broadcaster from . Her work in agricultural media has been recognized by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn, Illinois Council on Agricultural Education and MidAmerica Croplife Association. Plant-based product fixes nitrogen for corn, Report provides rangeland carbon market insight, Kansas State University veterinarian shares tips to prepare cattle for summer, Commodity Classic offers look at latest in ag equipment, tech, Orion Samuelson: Explaining agriculture to Chicago, Max on Orion: Champion for the American farmer. The number of Americans seeking mental health treatment isalmost twiceas high as it was two decades ago. National Association of Farm Broadcasting ("NAFB"), "The Morning Show with Orion and Max | WGN Radio - 720 AM", "National President Election Profile: Max Armstrong", "Armstrong Earns Plaque On The WGN Radio Walk Of Fame", "Seven honorees named to WGN Radio Walk of Fame", "Max Armstrong's Tractor App Now Available", "Max Armstrong // Purdue College of Liberal Arts", "Max Armstrong Named Honorary Master Farmer", Chicago Radio Spotlight interview with Max Armstrong, Max Armstrong's Tractor App in the Daily Herald, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Max_Armstrong&oldid=1122875638, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Televised "Hometown Heroes" featuring Orion Samuelson to air on NewsNation on Dec. 18. [1] He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. He was the voice on the radio but part of the farm family. Shes a beautiful lady and a beautiful partner, he says. He was also on President Ronald Reagans short list for secretary of agriculture, which ultimately ended in John Blocks selection. One time I was at a White House dinner to honor Norman Borlaug. According to his impressive resume, Samuelson is the only broadcaster to receive two Oscars in Agriculture from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. From 1975 to 2005, Samuelson also was the host of U.S. Farm Report, a weekly television news magazine dedicated to agriculture. These stories were also translated into Max Armstrong's Tractor App, launched in 2013. Autobiography of Orion "Big O" Samuelson, radio broadcaster on WGN in Chicago for over 50 years. He will be turning 90 in only 335 days from today (01 May, 2023). Samuelson now hosts a similar show, This Week in Agribusiness, on RFD-TV, along with Armstrong. And then you start dreaming. Please help me find a news bloopers with Orion Samuelson. 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. Sirott: I imagine you still milking cows while youre in broadcasting. She also had high praise for his care at University of Chicago. He also made history by being the first agribusiness broadcaster to be inducted into the National Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Samuelson received a specially engraved Norwegian horse plaque to commemorate the occasion from presidents of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, the Wisconsin Soybean Association, the Wisconsin Agri-Services Association and the Wisconsin Pork Association. "Thank you for loving Jamie and celebrating the goodness in him," McDonald wrote on Twitter. Three years into his tenure at WGN, he was the staffer that read the news of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Orion is now single. 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.) canceling National Barn Dance outright. [7] The induction ceremony took place on May 27, 2016, where Armstrong was honored along with 6 others. He hopes to give the Illinois State Fair Sale of Champions another go in 2021 working hard to create some magic in the Coliseum for young livestock exhibitors. During his over 60 years as a farm broadcaster, Samuelson interviewed nine presidents and traveled to 44 countries. [2], Many of those living in the Midwest over the past six decades remember the big, booming voice of Orion Samuelson that explained the business of agriculture and food production in an understandable way. [1] He produces and hosts the Farm Progress America and Max Armstrongs Midwest Digest daily radio programs. In 1954, he moved to WHBY in Appleton, Wis., to be the nighttime announcer, and by 1956, Orion had secured his first position as a farm broadcaster at WBAY in Green Bay, Wis. At WBAY, he crossed paths with a fellow ag communicator named Jim Evans, who would go on to found the agricultural communications program at the University of Illinois. 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. I think that a lot of people recognize that without agricultural trade, we would be in far worse condition because our farmers produce so much more than we can consume. Norma Bush, who invited me to join him at the White House studio for the interview.. An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association. Samuelson has spent over 60 years perfecting this talent, first at radio stations in Wisconsin before starting his job at Chicagos WGN Radio in September 1960. Orion is one of agricultures few celebrities, known to millions by his first name only, like Cher. Well known ag broadcaster Orion Samuelson will retire this month after 60 years in the field. 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. Max Armstrong was named an Honorary Master Farmer in 2018 by Prairie Farmer Magazine. Farm Report in 1975 and. Celebrating 60 Years of Orion SamuelsonAudio|Video|PhotosEmail|Voicemail|Scholarship. When I started, Orion was so highly regarded by everyone at WGN. Orion Samuelson was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, near LaCrosse. Orions realm is in the city with the movers and shakers.. "How do you say goodbye to a man who made everyone feel like a friend?". In the 1960s, Samuelson hosted an early-morning show on WGN-TV, Top 'O' the Morning, first with organist Harold Turner, then with Armstrong. Orion's spirits are high and he is looking forward to returning to the airwaves as soon as he gets the 'go ahead. . "I dont know how many broadcasters have been around for 60 or more years, so I dont know if its that much of a milestone.". I read about this in the encyclopedia, but now Im standing here looking at it. Read full biography, Yes, Orion Samuelson is still alive But mainly, hes told agricultures story from downtown Chicago, where he became a media icon and a beloved hall of fame broadcaster. And it, I think, became pretty well known to most people that agriculture was indeed a contributor to the nations income. First, Orion won the section, and then he went to state, and then he placed second in all of Wisconsin. Sun-Times editor Chris Fusco leaving for California news startup, My childhood dream became the honor of a lifetime, Robservations: Sun-Times moving to Old Post Office; ABC 7 opens weekend anchor slot; Medill tracks local news decline, Robservations: StreetWise raises cover price; Sventoonie takes a break; Friends of Chicago Reporter mark 50. Cause I didnt think I was very important and then somebody said 60 years. Later, Orion would earn an honorary doctor of letters from the U of I. On the lighter side, Samuelson and a studio group dubbed the "Uff da Band" once recorded covers of Yogi Yorgesson's novelty songs I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas and Yingle Bells. McDonald now is a TV reporter and anchor at Detroit's PBS station. She was named an AAEA Master Writer in 2005. You cant respond to someone until you listen to them, and you cant ask the right questions until you learn where theyre coming from. In May 1960, one of Mr. Samuelson's first assignments for WGN was to emcee the National Barn Dance, a long running program that WGN had just acquired when WLS radio discontinued its association with Prairie Farmer magazine. "I couldn't believe it was happening," he says today. The lesson I share with young people is in order to make a living talking you have got to be a good listener, said Orion Samuelson, farm broadcaster at WGN Radio. As for why his listeners love him so, Max has a few ideas: Orion is reliable, credible and accurate. The hall of fame broadcaster and Chicago media icon says he'll end his run at the end of the year. It took me about two weeks to decide to accept the WGN job and it scares me to think it took that long to join a station like WGN, said Samuelson, who retired from WGN on Dec. 31. 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. Get an exclusive peek behind the scenes of The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination. We operate in different ways. Feder flashback: So you think you know Chicago television. So, its one of those what might have been stories but I value my relationship with my wife, Orion says, laughing. It makes sense, he says. Armstrong was full-time with WGN Radio for 32 years until 2009. McDonalds is now offering its Big Mac sauce in prepackaged dipping cups but it aint free. This would turn out to be his trademark generosity, as he mentored dozens of young broadcasters and interns over the coming decades. The man continues to repeat the introduction until Orion continues. [13], On November 1, 2012, Samuelson published his autobiography "You Cant Dream Big Enough" was published by Bantry Bay Media. Orion Samuelson and his wife, Gloria, were kind enough to allow me to introduce myself and even pose for a quick picture. There were host farms in northern Illinois that opened on Sundays for consumers to visit, Armstrong said. 00:00 Aerial shots of farmland, taken from a . 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. Check Background Get Contact Info This Is Me - Edit Reputation & Background View All Once Samuelson started his job at WGN, it didnt take him long to realize that urban people didnt understand farmers or ranchers. The University of Illinois also presented Samuelson with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters. Copyright 2023. You listen to the radio. On 97.1 on Monday, the station's programming was one long, emotional tribute to Samuelsen, starting with Stone and Heather Park in the morning, and carrying over to Doug Karsch and Scott Anderson in middays. He listened to the veterans around him, picking out the good things they did that people liked. A. Like regular Orion, Air Orion will retire soon, too. [8], On This Week in Agribusiness, Armstrong has a segment "Max's Tractor Shed," which features vintage tractors sent in by viewers. These days, Orion is dialing back obligations and busy recovering from back surgery. 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. Reverence, always. Gloria Samuelson may get the biggest credit of all: saving Orions life. I dont like conspiracy theories. 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. 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. 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. Orion Samuelson, 86, informed his bosses he'll retire at the end of the year. He drove home every weekend to be a polka music disc jockey. Luckily for farmers, Samuelson had once considered becoming a Lutheran pastor before heading off to radio school. U.S. agricultural journalist to earn the Writer of Merit designation and is a five-time winner of the top writing award for editorial opinion in U.S. agriculture. His surgery went well on Monday, he is out of ICU and looking forward to checking out of this luxury hotel (hospital) as soon as he gets a bit more strength back, Samuelsons wife, Gloria, wrote in an email. 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. You can find a comprehensive archive of his material here. 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. But inside WGN, his new colleagues welcomed him into the family. 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. Truman. As a kid, Orion served as "that voice on the radio" that I became . A new coronavirus subvariant is starting to spread in the U.S. and, according to health experts, it could be causing an annoying symptom to return. Everyone loved him the engineers and everyone behind the scenes, he describes. But, this is like the time when the conspiracy theory came true. said one researcher. 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. Dont make a mountain out of this lets wait and see what weve got was his approach to crises large and small. 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]. We would talk about trade with China. From Eddie Hubbard, Wally Phillips, Bob Collins and Spike O'Dell to Steve Cochran and Bob Sirott, Samuelson has been rising with WGN's morning stars and their listeners for an amazing six decades. 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. (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. And trust. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. Number 8860726. Samuelson: The biggest change, besides technology, it would be the fact that agriculture is international because when I started in the business, South America, Brazil, wasnt even in the soybean situation. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Orion Samuelson was just 27 years old when he made his way up North Michigan Avenue, striding toward the Tribune Tower. Samuelson was working at WBAY in Green Bay, Wisconsin, when Norm Kraft, WGN farm director resigned on the air. Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, covered the media beat in his hometown from 1980 until his retirement in 2022. You can find a comprehensive archive of his material here. The Republicans were looking for someone to run against Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama. I saw agriculture through the eyes of my TV cameraman and I had the opportunity to shake hands with people like Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev, Samuelson said. 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. "But I had a lot of help, thanks to Ward Quaal, [the WGN president and general manager] who hired me, and a lot of the other great names Ive worked with and learned from." Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday. If you eat, youre involved in agriculture is the line hes used thousands of times at such events. The winner of more awards and inductee in more halls of fame than he can count, Samuelson said one of the honors he cherishes most is the honorary doctor of letters degree he received from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001. Orion got plenty of practice thinking on his feet, as WGN took the show on the road for 40 to 50 remote broadcasts a year to county fairs, the Illinois State Fair, the Farm Progress Show and more. The rest of the tape follows Orion Samuelson (who created and hosted U.S. Farm Report for WGN Radio AM-720), at the 1991 Farm Progress Show in Dalton City, IL. [10][11] In 2014 he was awarded the VERITAS award by American Agri-Women (AAW) Organization. "So I think Ill find things to do.". American agricultural broadcast journalist, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Christmas Eve air check from Radio Hall of Fame, "Robservations: WGN Radio names Steve Alexander to succeed Orion Samuelson - Robert Feder", "Legendary agribusiness broadcaster Orion Samuelson on 60 years", "President Trump makes surprise phone call during Decatur Farm Progress Show", "Radio Hall of Fame - Orion Samuelson, Farm Broadcaster", "WGN's Orion Samuelson to have heart surgery", "Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation Board of Directors", "CME Group and NAFB Foundation to Award First-Ever Orion Samuelson Scholarship for Agricultural Communications", "Orion Samuelson to retire after 60 years at WGN Radio", "Laureates by Year - The Lincoln Academy of Illinois", Legendary agribusiness broadcaster Orion Samuelson on 60 years, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orion_Samuelson&oldid=1105630782, Short description is different from Wikidata, BLP articles lacking sources from May 2008, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Orion Samuelson was inducted as a Laureate of, This page was last edited on 21 August 2022, at 02:59. After high school, Orion headed to the University of Wisconsin on a scholarship, determined to learn how to be a radio announcer. Samuelson was inducted into the Wisconsin 4-H Hall of Fame in 2017. After a few years, audiences finally began to wane, and the program ceased live performances after 1957. . 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? [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. He went one further when he got Orion into public speaking contests. Kathryn Samuelson, Judith Samuelson, Gloria Samuelson, James Warren and Lois Long, and many others are family members and associates of Orion. In fact, it might be what they like about him best. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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 Big O," as he's known, will continue to deliver five or six daily business . [2] Career[edit] They had a lot of misconceptions about the role food producers play in our economy and our society, Samuelson said. "He loved a wicked joke, a good game & a strong gimlet. At 86, his voice is as strong and deep and rich as its always been. He was honored at the 2010 Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo in Wisconsin Dells. From 1975 to 2005, Samuelson was the host of U.S. Farm Report, a weekly television news magazine dedicated to agriculture. His voice is synonymous with agriculture news and after January Orion Samuelson will be stepping away from the microphone. Memorials may be made to Heartland. Having trouble filling a prescription? He will retire from WGNs airwaves on Dec. 31. So I should recover very quickly.. He was much better than I would have been, Orion reassures. In 2015, she became only the 10th U.S. agricultural journalist to earn the Writer of Merit designation and is a five-time winner of the top writing award for editorial opinion in U.S. agriculture. He was cut from the same cloth as Paul Harvey. The farm broadcaster duo also assisted with Farm Visit Sundays which was organized by the University of Illinois Extension. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue recently honored Samuelson with a proclamation heralding the broadcaster's long career in ag journalism. Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday. The result: casts, wheelchairs and crutches. Samuelson, 81, veteran agriculture-business. U.S. Farm Report continued without Samuelson after his departure. At Purdue University, Armstrong received honors as an "Old Master" in 2005 and was recognized as a "Noted Alumnus" in the 2009 'Facts at Your Fingertips.' [6], In 2016, Armstrong earned a plaque on the WGN Radio Walk of Fame in Chicago. 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. David is retired from a career as a trader on the Chicago Board of Trade and has two children of his own, and Katheryn is in the restaurant business. Moon's first wife, Seon-gil Choi, and Pastor Deok-jin Kim interviewed. He currently co-hosts (with associate Max Armstrong) the Morning Show on Saturdays. When Armstrong started at WGN, he was surrounded by announcers and personalities who were significantly older. Gloria says those are among the traits that have made him successful that and being generous with his time and talents, especially with young people. And then Id drive 17 miles to the radio station, Id get home in time to help milk cows at night. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Both shows aired on 190 Midwest stations[7] via first-run syndication. Three years into his tenure at WGN, Samuelson was the staffer that read the news of the John F. Kennedy assassination. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. I think I should be able to, he quipped last week. Good health and happiness to you and to Gloria. Around the same time, the vocational-agriculture teacher from school showed up on the Samuelsons doorstep, offering to bring Orions schoolwork out a couple of times a week and help him stay on pace with classmates. Holly frequently speaks to a variety of groups and organizations, sharing the heart, soul and science of agriculture. 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. In addition, Samuelson hosts a three-minute daily "National Farm Report", and a weekly commentary, "Samuelson Sez"; both are syndicated to various stations across the country through Tribune Broadcasting's Tribune Radio Network. Indeed, entire generations have grown up on the farm conditioned to shush around the table or in the truck or across the milking parlor when Orions voice came on the radio. Why? Orion at approximately age 7.Orion at approximately age 14.Orion's high school graduation photo.Orion in the mid-1960s.Sixty years ago.Orion in the mid-1970s.Orion SamuelsonOrion in his office.Orion Samuelson with the chair given to him by the FFA.Orion on the front page.Orion Samuelson at the podium after receiving the Order of Lincoln Medallion on May 5, 2001.Orion at You arent alone.