Jerry Rosholt
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Karlton Jerome Rosholt (born 1923) is an American journalist and author, holder of the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Journalist Award and the St Olav's medal awarded by Harald V, King of Norway, and author of Ole Goes to War: Men from Norway Who Fought in America's Civil War.
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[edit] Luther College
Rosholt attended Luther College, but was interrupted by World War II. During the war, he served with the 95th Infantry Division. After the war, he was graduated from Luther with a degree in mathematics in 1948. Luther College later honored him with the first Oliver Eittreim Award for Excellence in Broadcast Media (1977) and a Distinguished Service Award (1998).
During college, Rosholt twice won national forensic championships in extemporaneous speech, both times winning the college division and then representing the college division in the university division and winning it. He was the first and only student to ever do so as a freshman.
[edit] Minnesota
As a journalist in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, Rosholt was head writer for well-known radio personality Cedric Adams at WCCO. He also worked for the Associated Press in Minneapolis.
In 1957, following the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union, Rosholt was the first American journalist to report that the successful launch was the dawn of a new age of the human race, not just a defeat of the United States in the race to be first to enter space. For this report, Rosholt was awarded the Distinguished Journalist Award by Simga Delta Chi (now known as the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award.)
From 1960 to 1962, Rosholt represented Lutheran Film Associates in the distribution of the motion picture Question 7.
[edit] NBC News
In 1962, Rosholt started working for NBC News in Philadelphia at WRCV. In 1964, he represented NBC for the News Election Service, supervising the collection of votes for NES in three states. In 1966, he transferred to New York City, writing for WNBC radio. His reports during the August 1967 riots in Newark, New Jersey, were well received, and as a result he was promoted to the Huntley-Brinkley Report.
During the final years of the Huntley-Brinkley Report and during the period of time that David Brinkley was anchor of the NBC Nightly News, Rosholt was a field producer, notably covering the NBC coverage of the India-Pakistan War, which won Emmys in every category of television news coverage. He also covered the U.S. - U.S.S.R. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), the Sadat-Begin Peace Talks, the William Calley trial, several Civil Rights demonstrations, anti-Vietnam War protests and national political conventions from 1964 to 1986.
In 1972, when John Chancellor took over as anchor of the NBC Nightly News, Chancellor selected Rosholt as his personal producer and head editor. During their time together, Rosholt and Chancellor exchanged final writing and editing tasks for every news story reported. They worked together until Chancellor was replaced by Tom Brokow. Transferring to NBC News Computers, Rosholt finished his career rising to the level of director and retiring in 1988.
[edit] Vesterheim
In 1996, Rosholt was asked by Darell Henning, curator of Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum, to compile a database of Norwegian immigrants who fought in the U.S. Civil War. In 2003, Vesterheim opened an exhibit on Norwegian-American soldiers. Accompanying the exhibit was the database and a book, also written by Rosholt, called Ole Goes to War: Men from Norway Who Fought in America's Civil War. The book contained stories and pictures Rosholt had found during his research.
In September 2006, Rosholt was awarded the St Olav's medal by King Harald V of Norway “in recognition of [his] great services to Norway, in particular [his] active involvement with the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum on its Civil War project."
The medal was presented on October 21 in Decorah, Iowa, by Norwegian Consul General Rolf Hansen.
[edit] Family
Rosholt was born in 1923 in Glasgow, Montana. His parents were Carl Rosholt and Edith Solem. He has one younger brother, Norman.
Rosholt married Carolyn Janelle Hanson (1926-1993) in 1948. They had three sons.
[edit] References
- Williston (North Dakota) Herald 15 Sept 2004 [1]
- Norway.org News of Norway [2]
- Decorah (Iowa) Journal [3]
