Karl Stefan
CLASS OF 1981 When WJAG was founded in 1922 by Gene Huse, publisher of the Norfolk Daily News. the newspaper’s city editor Karl Stefan anchored the station’s first news report. He continued to serve as WJAG’s chief announcer until his election to Congress in 1935. Born in 1884 in Bohemia, now the Czech-Republic, Stefan’s family […]
George Kister
CLASS OF 1981 George Kister (pronounced Kee-ster) spent much of his 43-year broadcast career at KMMJ Grand Island. He entered radio almost by chance. He became Assistant Secretary of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce in 1925 which at the time acted as manager of radio station KFKX Hastings. As Assistant Secretary, Kister began his air work […]
Joe di Natale
CLASS OF 1982 Joe Di Natale spent 35 years at KODY North Platte working up from sales to part owner. He was a tireless promoter of North Platte, Nebaskaland Days, the University of Nebraska, and Nebraska itself. Joe’s family moved from Ohio to Lincoln when he was nine. He graduated from the University of Nebraska […]
Max Brown
CLASS OF 1982 Max Brown was the driving force behind what today is the nation’s only farmer and rancher owned radio station. Through private membership donations from nearly 5000 ranchers and farmers he created KRVN Lexington, the Rural Voice of Nebraska. After graduating from South Dakota State College with a Masters degree, Max served in […]
Arthur Thomas
CLASS OF 1983 Art Thomas was one of Nebraska’s pioneer broadcasters. After a stint with the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, he was named manager of WJAG Norfolk in 1932. During that time he also served as Chief Newscaster and produced one of the first Man On The Street interview programs that were becoming popular in […]
Paul Jensen
CLASS OF 1983 Paul Jensen began his career as an announcer for KOLN Radio in 1948 and later became production manager and program director for KOLN TV. After working for WXEX-TV in Richmond, Virginia, Jensen returned to KOLN-TV in 1956 as sales service manager. He served as program director, assistant general manager and station manager […]
Arden Swisher
CLASS OF 1984 During his varied career, Arden E. Swisher was a musician, newspaper columnist, and broadcaster. He was responsible for the syndication of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” TV series while vice president of advertising at the company, a job that brought him face-to-face with such celebrities as Lawrence Welk and Johnny Carson. A trumpet player who formed […]
Frank Scott
CLASS OF 1984 Frank Scott was a true broadcaster, an Omahan who cut his teeth in radio and television in his hometown before moving on to international broadcasting for the Voice of America in Europe. A smart dresser with an acting background (he appeared in a barroom brawl scene with John Wayne), his outgoing personality was […]
Larry Walklin
CLASS OF 1985 Larry Walklin was the Fred and Gladys Seaton Professor of Broadcasting in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He started in commercial broadcasting at the age of 16 in his hometown of Grand Island at KMMJ. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University in three years […]
Rev. Roswell Williams
CLASS OF 1985 Rev. Roswell C. Williams understood the importance of television as a mass medium and as an aid to education. He joined the faculty of Creighton University in Omaha in 1945 and became an advocate of radio and television as teaching tools. Before commercial television came to Omaha, Williams in 1946 welcomed production employees of WOW to set up experimental television equipment […]