Orion Samuelson

Anyone living in the Midwest over the past six decades knows that great, big, booming voice if Orion Samuelson that could explain the strange business of agriculture and food production in a way that was understandable, and that he was a good guy and a good listener. [3]

Samuelson was born on a dairy farm in Ontario, Wisconsin, near LaCrosse. Growing up in Wisconsin on a farm Samuelson was expected to take over the family farm but a leg disease made it impossible to do heavy work.[4] He considered becoming a Lutheran pastor before deciding on six months of radio school. His early work was based in Wisconsin, at WKLJ in Sparta, WHBY in Appleton, and WBAY-TV/AM in Green Bay.

He is best known for his association with WGN Radio in Chicago, serving as the station's head agriculture broadcaster since 1960. In May of 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. WLS had become "The Station With Personality" and started playing Rock and Roll. Three years into his tenure at WGN, he was the staffer that read the news of the John F. Kennedy assassination. His career led him to have dinner at the White House and travel to 43 countries [5] including to Cuba where he shook hands with Fidel Castro, to Moscow where he met with Mikhail Gorbachev, to England to broadcast live from the Royal Agricultural Show (aka Royal Show), and traveling with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Prime Minister of India to see the Taj Mahal.[6] He has interviewed and or met every US President since Dwight D. Eisenhower,[7] including John F. Kennedy (When he was still a Senator); Lyndon Johnson; Richard Nixon; Gerald Ford; Ronald Reagan; George H.W. Bush; George W. Bush;[8] Donald Trump;[9] and finally, when he was 20 years out of the Oval Office, Harry S. Truman.[10] He currently co-hosts (with associate Max Armstrong) the Morning Show on Saturdays. In addition, Samuelson hosts a three-minute daily "National Farm Report", and a weekly commentary, "Samuelson Sez"; both are syndicated to 260 stations[11] across the country.[2]

In the 1960s, Samuelson hosted an early-morning show on WGN-TV, Top 'O' the Morning, first with organist Harold Turner, then with Armstrong. From 1975 to 2005, Samuelson also was the host of U.S. Farm Report, a weekly television news magazine dedicated to agriculture; U.S. Farm Report has continued without Samuelson since his departure. Samuelson now hosts a similar show, This Week in Agribusiness, along with Armstrong. Both shows have aired in 190 Midwest stations[12] via first-run syndication.[2]

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.[13] 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. Samuelson has held the same job in the broadcasting industry for 60 consecutive years (as of 2020),[14] second only to Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network announcer Vin Scully.

In 2001, Samuelson was named a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and was awarded the Order of Lincoln – the highest award bestowed by the State of Illinois. The University of Illinois also presented Samuelson with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters. Orion Samuelson was honored at the 2010 Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo in Wisconsin Dells. 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. 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.[15][16] In 2014 he was awarded the VERITAS award by American Agri-Women (AAW) Organization. [17]

Samuelson also serves as a Board Member Emeritus for the IALF(Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation) having previously served as Chairman of the Board. In addition Samuelson serves on or as a member of the Farm Foundation Bennett Round Table, 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. [18]

On November 1, 2012 Samuelson became a published author when his autobiographical book "You Can’t Dream Big Enough" was published by Bantry Bay Media.[19]

In 2014 the CME Group and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Foundation announced the first-ever recipient of the Orion Samuelson Scholarship ($5,000) for a senior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The scholarship is presented to a college student seeking a career in agricultural communications.[20]

On September 23, 2020 Samuelson announced his retirement from WGN Radio. His final broadcast on WGN was the noon business report on December 31, 2020.[21][22]

• National Radio Hall of Fame, 2003[2]
• American Farm Bureau's Distinguished Service Award, 1998[2]
• 4-H Alumni Award[2]
• Oscar[2]
• Norsk Høstfest Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame [23]
• Orion Samuelson was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2001 in the area of Communication and Agriculture.[24]American Agri-Women Veritas Award, 2015

• Christmas Eve air check from Radio Hall of Fame

• This Week in Agribusiness
• Samuelson Sez - Weekly commentary
• Orion Samuelson at the National Radio Hall of Fame
• Tribune Radio Network
• Orion Samuelson, Keynote Speaker Profile American Agri-Women Veritas Award
• Legendary agribusiness broadcaster Orion Samuelson on 60 years