Diddymooser one of Owens’ claims to fame

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an excerpt from “The Dakota Wesleyan University Memory Book, 1885-2010,” a new book by James McLaird. Excerpts will be published regularly until the 125th anniversary celebration this weekend.

According to Gary Altman, self-described “Daily Anemic Staff Writer,” the Diddymooser was first spotted on the Dakota Wesleyan campus during freshmen week in fall 1952. The “one inch high creature” was “chartreuse colored” with “curling antennae around his sun-tanned eye-brows.” While Altman took notes, the Diddymooser “recited Lincoln’s ‘Gettysburg Address,’ MacArthur’s ‘Farewell to Congress,’ Walt Kelly’s ‘Pogo’ … last week’s Communication 104 test and burped three times.”

Later, humorist Gary Altman gained fame as Gary Owens on “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” appearing as a radio announcer with his hand cupped over his ear. He is also a well-known broadcaster and animated voice specialist for cartoon characters such as Roger Ramjet, Space Ghost and The Blue Falcon. Owens was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During his two years at Dakota Wesleyan, Altman penned a nonstop humor column, “Commentary by Gary,” for the Phreno Cosmian. “The latest news ... is that President Eisenhower hasn’t slept for ten days,” he wrote, adding, “it seems that the chief executive sleeps nights!” In his stock market report, “umbrellas and elevators” were “going up and down,” while “paper and envelopes” remained “stationery.”

Altman’s humor also dealt with classmates. Classmate Dave Busk, he said, had a “number of lady-friends that are after-dinner speakers ... when they speak, it’s dinner they’re after.” And, Ed Zietlow was going to “learn the elevator dance ... thar’s no steps to it!”

As for the Diddymooser, Gary Altman, president of the Diddymooser for Greater America Organization, claimed the creature received widespread fame after Jolly Joe Martin of WOW radio in Omaha broadcast his story. Altman’s response to the news: “Oh well, you know the saying, A bird in the hand is bad table manners!”

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