Roger Awsumb

2001 Charter Inductee

Roger Awsumb spent more than 50 years in broadcasting, entertaining radio listeners on KLKS FM Breezy Point and delighting countless young viewers as "Your Old Buddy, Casey Jones." After serving in the US Army, he began broadcasting in 1948 as an announcer at WBOM at Macalester College in Saint Paul, later becoming program director and manager. In 1951 he became announcer and program director at KDLM Detroit Lakes. He moved to television in 1952, joining WCCO TV Minneapolis/Saint Paul as a floor man, announcer, and director. He took a similar position at WMIN TV Minneapolis/Saint Paul in 1953. In 1954 he created the popular "Casey Jones" character, a railroad engineer who invited children to join him for lunch, skits, songs, and cartoons. The show ran on WMIN and WTCN TV (now KARE TV) until 1973, and came back to television on WFBT TV (now WFTC TV) Minneapolis/Saint Paul from 1983 to 1985. He returned to radio in 1986, joining the staff of KLKS FM. He was named Outstanding Broadcast Personality by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association in 1995, and inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2001.

Roger passed away, at the age of 74, on July 15, 2002.