John O'Rourke

Inducted 2015

The “Voice of Austin, Minnesota” was first heard on KAUS-AM/KMMT-TV in 1961 where he did a regular sports feature on the 10 O’clock News. Ten years later John O’Rourke was the first person on the air at KAVT-TV, Austin’s PBS member station.

From 1972 until 1995 John worked with the Radio and Television Broadcasting program at Riverland Community College in Austin, a program he initiated and sustained. As the host of The Sports Show with John O’Rourke, he was able to give his broadcasting students the chance to participate in the production of an actual on-air program. His election as mayor of Austin in 1987 gave him the opportunity to host Meet the Mayor on KAUS Radio. John also spent many years providing public address work for Austin High School basketball games, and in 2007 he was inducted into Austin High's Athletic Hall of Fame. John is a fixture in Austin. Everyone at KAUS enjoyed working with him, and for many years it was apparent that nearly all of the KAUS announcers had attended John's program at Riverland College.

John O'Rourke passed away on October 18, 2018, at the age of 84.