Remembering Dean Sturm

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Dean Sturm (1924 - 1987) was the affable emcee of  "The Saturday
Night Jamboree" WSAZ-TV popular Country Music Show.

File Photo - The herald Dispatch

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HUNTINGTON — Many people recall Dean Sturm as the affable emcee of “The Saturday Night
Jamboree,” WSAZ-TV’s popular country music show, but that was only part of his long career.

Born in Huntington in 1924, Roland Dean Sturm attended
 Cammack Junior High and Huntington High School.

A World War II veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Sturm liked to joke
 that in 1942, he was doing radio commercials for the Marines
and “did too good a job” — as he ended up enlisting

Sturm joined WSAZ in 1953, the same year the “Jamboree” show
went on the air, going on to last nearly 20 years. He was the TV
station’s chief announcer and host of “Coffee Time,” a
weekday morning program on the station. A
 talented musician, he played the drums,
trombone and trumpet — as well as
being capable of performing
 98 bugle calls.

Before joining WSAZ, he worked at radio stations in
Peoria, Illinois; Portsmouth, Ohio; and Huntington.

Before Huntington switched to its current city charter which
 provides for the election of its mayors in partisan public
elections, each year saw City Council choose one of
its own members to serve as a ceremonial
mayor. Thus, Sturm served as mayor
in 1979-80, the last year of his
four-year term on council.

From 1967 until his death in 1987, he was senior producer/
director of closed circuit television at Marshall University.

At one point, he was the commanding officer
of the Huntington Police Reserve unit.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Oct. 11, 2022..

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