G.L. Schoberg
G. L. Schoberg, Professor of French and German from 1930 to 1962 and Chair of the Modern Languages Department from 1931 to 1962, was born in Wisconsinin 1899. In his youth, his family moved to Atwater, Minnesota where he and a friend created the first amateur radio station in the area.
A member of Concordia’s 1925 graduating class, Schoberg returned to Concordia after earning his master’s degree and serving as a superintendent of schools in Fisher, Minnesota. Schoberg’s radio program called “Cobbercast” began in 1938 as a means of disseminating news about Concordia including information about students, faculty, staff, and events. This news was coupled with quotations and anecdotes that Schoberg formulated to create engaging insight into campus life.
By the time the Cobbercast originated, Concordia’s chapel services had been on the air for over a decade. Concordia’s radio programs, including daily chapel services, the Concordia Music Hour, and the Concordia Christmas Radio Party, had all gained a faithful following. During its first year on the air, the Cobbercast followed suit earning a dedicated audience; thus, the Cobbercast became a Friday feature on WDAY that aired during chapel time
Produced in the broadcasting booth on the second floor of the Old Main auditorium, the Cobbercast remained a weekly feature until 1949. That year it was moved to a five-minute feature after chapel services. The content of the program remained the same including G. L. Schoberg’s signature sign off “until next time, Concordially yours.” The program ceased in 1966.
Starting with Schoberg’s pioneering skills in his youth, radio remained a life-long interest. Schoberg’s wit and the dynamic style of his Cobbercasts have caused him to be remembered as “the voice of Concordia.”