Roger Welsch Biography

Roger Welsch taught most of his life at universities and colleges in Nebraska. In 1988, he walked away from a full professorship in English and Anthropology at the University of Nebraska to live and write on his small tree farm near Dannebrog, Nebraska. A short time later, Roger's old friend Charles Kuralt invited him to become a part of CBS's prize-winning show, "Sunday Morning." When asked if he misses teaching, Roger replies, "I'm still teaching--but now my class has 12 million students...and I don't have to grade the papers!"

About that same time, Roger published the best-selling It's Not The End Of The Earth But You Can See It From Here, his 16th book but first fiction; A second collection of fiction, Touching the Fire: Buffalo Dancers, The Sky Bundle, and other Tales, was released by Random House in 1992 to rave reviews. In the fall of 1994 Alfred Knopf publishers put Roger's first book for young readers on the market, Uncle Smoke Stories to immediate rave reviews; this year Motorbooks International published Roger's humorous treatment of his real passion, restoring old tractors, Old Tractors and the Men Who Love Them. In April, 1997, HarperCollins released Roger's examination of food and Men, Diggin' In and Piggin' Out, later named one of the ten best cookbooks of the year 1997 by Bon Appetit magazine. In August, 1997, Motorbooks International published Rog's follow-up tractor book, Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles, an instant best-seller. In 1998 Rog and his old pal Paul Fell, published You Know You're An Old-Tractor Nut When....

Welsch's work has appeared in Natural History Magazine, Readers Digest, Esquire Gentleman and Successful Farming. In the fall of 1997 he began a new series of regular columns with Successful Farming magazine, exploring both the humor and human side of agriculture and rural life.

He was named outstanding speaker of the year by the University of Nebraska in 1990, received the Trailblazer award from the Nebraskaland Foundation and 1992's Distinguished Nebraskan Award at the Washington DC Press Club, received the Ruth Etting award for contributions to live performance, was awarded AK-SAR-BEN's coveted "Contributions to Agriculture" Award, and was recognized by the Pawnee Tribe for his contributions to the tribe. In October 1994 Roger received the Nebraska Library Association's Sandoz Award for contributions to plains folklore, history and literature. During the Summer of 1996 Roger received the Progressive Farmer's Ag Leader of the Year Award, the Trailblazer Award from the Fremont Arts Association, and the Friend of Nebraska Award from the community of Seward at its fourth of July celebration.

Roger feels strongly, however, that his most important honor was his adoption into the Omaha Tribe in 1967 and his official designation as Tribal Friend by the Pawnee in 1995.

When he has time to himself, Roger likes to walk the banks of the Middle Loup River near his home and work in his shop on antique Allis Chalmers tractors.

Note from Rog: For a complete bibliography of my work, click here.