AUGUST 2006
By Nick Hassel
When meeting and talking with some people in this world, you can tell that they are something special. Donovan Rasmussen is one of these people.
He describes himself as a friendly little guy floating in space. Excitable, friendly and zealous, Rasmussen now wants to give back to students, just like others gave back to him, which opened many of his doors.
Rasmussen, 84, was born into a small community near Dresser, Wisconsin , called El Salem. The name El Salem means peaceful, friendly place, and was given the name by the first settlers of the area. 
During his childhood with a younger brother, Rasmussen experienced a typical upbringing in a farming family, spending most of his early years with his father in the fields. However life was difficult, for the Great Depression was at its height.
As he grew into his teens, school became extremely important to him. Although he did well in school, he had to outwork many of his fellow classmates because as he puts it, school did not come easy. Nevertheless, in 1940, Donovan graduated from Osceola high school, taking the four-year Smith Hughes Agriculture course.
In high school Rasmussen realized many aspects about himself. He recognized that he was not an athlete, but preferred music and general science. As a freshman he took up the clarinet. To this day, he still plays the clarinet in two bands: the Interstate band and the Scandia, Minnesota Community Band, which play old-time tunes, such as polkas and big band music.
After high school, Rasmussen was unsure of where he wanted his life to go. As a youngster he took an interest in engineering. After receiving a UWRF scholarship, he decided to attend the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. During his time at the University, he took mostly pre-engineering courses, although he never did declare a major. He credits the scholarship with providing himself with opportunities that would not have been available otherwise.
After two years in River Falls, Rasmussen transferred to UW-Madison where he graduated in 1944 with a degree in engineering. Along the way he met several inspirational professors. Today, he credits those teachers for molding him into the man he has become.
Following graduation, Rasmussen went to work for the large oil company, Chevron Oil, located in southern California . He took an early retirement 33 years later.
Rasmussen's love for his birthplace brought him back to the El Salem community. Since his return, he has never stopped learning. He is an avid reader, taking away as much information about life as he can. Public broadcasting is probably one of his biggest passions.
I love public radio and television, and want to keep everything from being privatized, he says. For many years now Rasmussen has been a financial supporter of public television, giving money to those stations that continue to educate him on a daily basis.
Now he believes it is his turn to give back to students. He has started a scholarship for an Osceola High School Graduate, as well as an endowed summer internship program for journalism students attending UWRF.
Over the last three years, Rasmussen became a fan of WPCA-FM, a local non-profit radio station in Amery , Wis. As I began to listen to the station, the more I heard, the more I liked, he says.
Rasmussen soon formed a friendship with WPCA's owner, Bob Zank. In May 2006 he donated $72,000 to create the Donovan E. Rasmussen WPCA-FM Radio News Internship.
For many years to come, a journalism student from UW-River Falls will be given a chance to participate as a news director for the station.
I welcome the chance to pass on encouragement that the schools gave to me, he says. It's a rough world out there, and I hope the experience gained from the internship gives people a good grounding, and an understanding what a real radio station and journalism are all about.
Frank Sinatra's song, I did it my way, best sums up Rasmussen's life and accomplishments. Now he hopes all students who benefit from his graciousness will eventually give others the same opportunities he has given them.
Nick Hassel was the first recipient of the Donovan E. Rasmussen WPCA-FM Radio News Internship in Summer 2006.
Nick Hassel's experience as the program's first intern
Application for Summer 2008 WPCA Internship
