Roger Awsumb (July 10, 1928 – July 15, 2002) was an American television show host and radio broadcaster in
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
and
Brainerd,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. He is most known for his lead role in the children's television show he created, ''Lunch With Casey'', that aired on the Twin Cities area
channel 11 from 1954 until 1973. Awsumb exemplified the pre-syndication era of
local children's television that featured a lead performer-host in character – in Awsumb's case, as a railroad engineer.
Early life
Roger Leonard Awsumb was born on July 10, 1928, in Saint Paul, Minnesota to Ardin I. Awsumb of
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississip ...
, and Petra C. (née Johnson) Awsumb of
Trondheim, Norway
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most pop ...
. He was of Norwegian descent from both parents and the youngest of four children. His siblings were Ardin W., Kenneth P., and Doris V. Awsumb. Roger Awsumb graduated from
Saint Paul's Central High School in 1946. After serving in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
from 1946 to 1947, he attended
Macalester College
Macalester College () is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 2,174 students in the fall of 2018 from 50 U.S. states, four U.S te ...
, where he began his radio career, graduating in 1950.
Career
Beginnings
During a brief stint in 1951 at radio station
KDLM 1340 AM in
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsum ...
, Awsumb developed a Casey Jones children's show that became the basis of television career.
Roger returned to the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in sta ...
in 1952 and transitioned from radio to television. He began making on-air appearances as a railroad engineer named “Casey Jones” in 1954 with the character and concept quickly evolving into its own show.
''Lunch With Casey''
The top-rated ''Lunch With Casey'' show was part of the peak era of children's television programming in the United States. On air, Awsumb adopted a railroad engineer persona with the name
Casey Jones
John Luther "Casey" Jones (March 14, 1863 – April 30, 1900) was an American railroader who was killed when his passenger train collided with a stalled freight train at Vaughan, Mississippi.
Jones was a locomotive engineer for the Illinois C ...
. His noon-hour show featured jokes, skits, songs, and cartoons, with non-actor children joining Awsumb and other characters live on set for the fun. Awsumb is most remembered for playing the ukulele and singing "The Happy Birthday Song" during each show. It's disputed whether he or musician Jim Hobbins wrote the tune. Awsumb and his supporting cast filled up an hour-long block of television air time each weekday with mostly original content. Despite airing thousands of shows over its run, only a few recordings of ''Lunch With Casey'' exist today as each episode was broadcast live and station tapes were often reused.
New era of children's television
Host station
channel 11 first attempted to drop the ''Lunch With Casey'' show in 1960 in favor of national programming. But the station rehired the cast after receiving 10,000 protest letters from parents and children.
Awsumb and pioneering children's television hosts of his era were further overshadowed by the arrival of nationally syndicated shows such as ''
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood'' and ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' beginning in the late 1960s. ''Lunch With Casey''s ratings faltered in the early 1970s, with fewer children going home from school for lunch, and it was later cancelled by a national media conglomerate that acquired the host station.
Awsumb cited the backlash against children's television personalities endorsing products aimed at children for the wider cancellation in the early 1970s of local children's TV shows.
After ''Lunch With Casey''
Cancellation of his show on channel 11 was not the end of Awsumb's Casey Jones persona as the host station did not own the characters.
Awsumb and longtime sidekick Lynn Dwyer as Roundhouse Rodney, (1927–1976) released ''Casey's Comedy Album For Kids'' album in 1973. The album contained songs and jokes from the popular television show. Awsumb is credited with writing "The Happy Train" song. Awsumb continued to make public appearances as Casey Jones.
However, attempts by Awsumb and other characters to reboot the Casey Jones concept and spin off new TV shows, including a short-lived show on
channel 29, failed. Awsumb pursued other business ventures, including a pizza restaurant, automobile sales, and a bicycle and ski shop.
Awsumb returned to radio broadcasting in the 1980s on
KLKS (FM)
KLKS (100.1 FM; "Talk 100") is a radio station owned by Jimmy D. Birkemeyer's R & J Broadcasting and located in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. It serves the Brainerd Lakes Area of central Minnesota.
It is owned by R & J Broadcasting, Inc. Its sister ...
in the
Brainerd Lakes area
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with ...
before retiring for good in the early 1990s.
Legacy
Awsumb did over 8,000 shows during his television tenure.
His Casey Jones character is a beloved fixture for a generation of television viewers and he remains a television icon. His alma mater,
Macalester College
Macalester College () is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 2,174 students in the fall of 2018 from 50 U.S. states, four U.S te ...
, presented him with the Distinguished Citizen Award. Awsumb was inducted into the
Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to i ...
in 2001. The steam locomotive Awsumb rode in the ''Lunch with Casey'' show opening is located at the
Minnesota Transportation Museum
The Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM, reporting mark MNTX) is a transportation museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.
MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin. The museum is actively invol ...
in Saint Paul.
Roger Awsumb is buried at the
Acacia Park Cemetery in
Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a to ...
. His headstone is inscribed with his name and television persona: ''Roger L. Awsumb "Casey Jones".''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Awsumb, Roger
1928 births
2002 deaths
American television hosts
People from Saint Paul, Minnesota
Military personnel from Minnesota
Macalester College alumni
American people of Norwegian descent
People from Minnesota