WCCO fixture was force in state

Clayton Kaufman was a fixture at WCCO radio from 1951 to 1990, starting as a replacement for journalist Harry Reasoner, who went on to achieve fame at CBS. It was an era before televisions, when WCCO radio was the chief source of news, weather and sports for folks across Minnesota.

Kaufman, of St. Louis Park, rose through the ranks, ending his radio career as station general manager.

When he was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007, organizers credited him with playing "a key role in making WCCO one of the most successful broadcast operations in the nation."

Kaufman, 85, died April 30.

"He was a marvelous guy to work for," said Charlie Boone, who with his radio partner, Roger Erickson, hosted the WCCO "Good Morning Show" for more than three decades.

"He had great ideas," said Boone. "He was very clever."

"Clayt," as Kaufman was known, started in news but found he had a knack for promotions. He was recognized nationally for his promotional campaigns. They included the successful "Good Neighbor Travel Tour" program, which continues today, allowing listeners to travel with WCCO personalities.

Boone recalls leading a trip with Erickson to Hawaii in the 1960s that coincided with the St. Paul Winter Carnival. They brought toboggans and "sledded" on the sands of Waikiki Beach in honor of the carnival.

Kaufman's wife, Susan, said her husband was proud of the role that WCCO played in the lives of Minnesotans. He would travel with WCCO tags on his luggage and loved hearing people's memories of growing up with their radio dials tuned to the station.

Even after retirement, the radio was always on in the house, "whether it was listened to or not," she joked.

Kaufman also was a huge golf fan, she said, and a longtime member of the Golden Valley Country Club. He was a master of sports trivia, she said, retaining a remarkable memory.

He served on various boards of directors, including the Minnesota Medical Foundation, Struthers Parkinson's Center and the St. Louis Park Dollars for Scholars. He was a firm supporter of stem cell research, particularly at the University of Minnesota. He had Parkinson's disease for two decades.

But above all, Kaufman was a man who adored his family and was proud of their accomplishments, his wife said.

Kaufman, the son of Nathan and Rose Kaufman, grew up in Minneapolis, graduating from North High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1949. It was there that he met his first wife, Nancy Lee Karon, who died in 1995.

He is survived by wife Susan; sons Douglas R. Kaufman of Eden Prairie, Dan S. Kaufman of Woodbury and Dixon B. Kaufman of Madison, Wis.; sister Shelley Segal; stepdaughters Erica Rydzewski of Sudbury, Mass., and Diana Schur of Denver; seven grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held last week.

Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511