After three decades of serving the listeners of WOSU, veteran newsman Tom Borgerding has signed off the air for the final time. Tom retired from 89-7 NPR News on Monday after a long career in radio journalism which he filled with a passion for news, a friendly on-air style and a Bob Dylan quote for every occasion.
Tom came to WOSU in the summer of 1985 from WPFB in Middletown, Ohio. It was a homecoming for Tom who graduated from Ohio State University's school of journalism in 1972.
After arriving at OSU's Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, Tom never made it to the earth’s surface, gladly toiling away in the basement studios and newsroom of WOSU. Tom served the 820AM, 89-7 FM and wosu.org audiences as reporter, anchor, editor, and managing editor.
He has covered just about every major story in Central Ohio over the past three decades. His memorable pieces included a 3-part series on the restoration of a Native American language spoken in Ohio 200 years ago, daily coverage of the Highway Shooter trial, and the return of Lima Company which lost 23 Marines in an Iraq War battle.
He was also WOSU’s perennial correspondent at the Ohio Farm Science Review and the Ohio State Fair. He’s won too many journalism awards to count.
In addition to serving WOSU listeners, Tom has been a mentor to many young aspiring journalists who’ve passed through. In the early 1990’s Tom taught journalism at OSU and Otterbein University. He’s also served on the boards of the Central Ohio Society for Professional Journalists and The Ohio Associated Press Broadcasters, one year as AP’s board president.
Click the player to hear Tom reflect on his career with WOSU News Director Mike Thompson
