Denver’s Legendary Boss Jock
Thespian, Class President, Missionary, Vocalist, Charity Worker, Boss Jock! Pogo Poge, born Morgan White, had to easily be Denver’s top DJ of all time. His stunts, public appearances, and on-the-air creativity placed his solidly in the hearts of Denver’s Teens. Here is as complete of a timeline as I could manage for Pogo – from his time in high school, then college in Logan, UT, on the air in Logan, then the Denver Tiger KIMN, off to Hawaii at KALL in 1965 and finally back to his beloved Utah until his time was up in 2010.
Immensely popular Pogo Poge, born Morgan White, came along in about 1958 to Denver and changed everything with his stunts on and off the air. His beginning salary in 1955 at KIMN was $550 a month. He became the host of the “Coca-Cola Hi-Fi Club” staging dances with big name national acts at Denver’s Mammoth Gardens which, at the time, was also a roller rink.
Pogo would begin his career in Logan, Utah the migrate to Denver and finally settled in Hawaii for a nice run.
Before becoming a DJ, a radio program host, or a TV kids show host, Morgan White was immersed in the theater which began when he attended Utah State University.
Pogo gained his name long before arriving in Colorado on KIMN as a result of him jumping on a pogo stick for a publicity stunt in Utah – covering more than 40 miles by some accounts – 80 by others. The stunt took the form of a fund raiser and featured a match with a competitive station’s DJ – Don Schaeffer of KALL in Salt Lake City.
Soon after, Pogo would challenge a noted professional wrestler to a match, but stipulated that the contestants would be on pogo sticks! Pogo won when the frustrated wrestler, “The Bat” was losing two falls to zero and decided to jump off his pogo stick, attack the referee and then throw Pogo over the ropes into the audience – The cost the Bat the match with Pogo reigning.
A few stunts of Pogo’s which were performed in Denver were his broadcasting sitting on top of a flagpole for 96 straight hours, broadcasting live from a snake infested pit (he was bitten) One time a group of University of Wyoming students broke into the KIMN studio and abducted Pogo, drove him out of town in trunk of his car and shaved his head.
Pogo appeared six times on the TV series “Hawaii Five-O” portraying the Attorney General of Hawaii. As the articles below attest, Pogo was raised in the Latter Day Saints church and was very active in affairs of the church, serving as a counselor. He served his church mission in Sweden beginning in the fall of 1947.
After retiring from TV and radio in Hawaii, Pogo returned to his home State of Utah residing on his farm in Sevier, Utah.
Pogo Poge passed away on September 3rd, 2010, in his home State of Utah.
Pogo Poge (Morgan White) Timeline
December 14th, December 14th, 1941 – The Salt Lake City Tribune – UT
Morgan in Sevier High School holiday play
April 16th, 1942 – The Richfield Reaper – UT
Morgan ‘Pogo” White sings “They Go Wild Over Me”, “White Cliffs of Dover” in high school exchange performance
November 16th, 1944 – Student Life Utah State College – Logan, UT
January 11th, 1945 – Student Life Utah State College – Logan, UT
Morgan White named “Personality of the Week” at Utah State College
January 11th, 1945 – Student Life Utah State College – Logan, UT
Morgan ‘Pogo” White pledges SAE fraternity in his junior year (Morgan was a two-year transfer student)
January 30th, 1945 – The Logan Cache American – UT
February 22nd, 1945 – Student Life Utah State College – Logan, UT
Morgan White performance as a student at USC
April 17th, 1945 – The Utah State College Student Life – Logan, UT
Morgan White runs for student body president.
March 6th, 1946 – The Utah State College Student Life – Logan, UT
September 22nd, 1948 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
Morgan participates in musical group during his mission in Sweden
December 16th, 1948 – The Richfield Reaper – UT
July 30th, 1953 – The Richfield Reaper – UT
Morgan takes part in Monroe Pioneer Day as vocalist
May 19th, 1954 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
Morgan (not shown) plays “Macbeth”
January 2nd, 1955 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
Morgan ‘Pogo’ White goes a-caroling!
January 26th, 1955 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
An early Morgan White theatrical appearance at Utah State College
March 16th, 1956 – The Salt Lake City Desert News – UT
March 19th, 1956 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
March 19th, 1956 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
April 10th, 1957 – The Logan Herald-Journal – UT
Morgan begins his radio career
May 10th, 1957 – The Morgan County News – UT
November 19th, 1957 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
November 20th, 1957 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
November 21st, 1957 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
December 8th, 1957 – The Odgen Standard Examiner Sun – UT
December 13th, 1957 – The Ogden Standard Examiner – UT
January 3rd, 1958 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
January 10th, 1958 – The Odgen Standard-Examiner – UT
March 9th, 1958 – The Ogden Standard Examiner – UT
Pogo Poge and Fellow DJ’s hosting Event with Jerry Lee Lewis and Bill Justus of Sun Records
April 24th, 1958 – The Ogden Standard-Examiner – UT
Pogo does Shakespear!
May 9th, 1958 – The Odgen Signpost – UT
August 1958 – Denver KIMN
August 1958 – Pogo Poge’s Jumping Society
October 15th, 1958 – Pogo Poge Listed for Frist Time on KIMN Survey
November 17th, 1958 – KIMN’s Pogo Poge Last Survivor
November 20th, 1958 – Pogo Poge in KIMN Wake-a-Thon
March 23rd, 1959 – Pogo’s Beard Contest
August 15th, 1959 – The Greeley Tribune – CO
Pogo Poge hosts the August 20th Teenage Centennial Hop at the CSU Small Ballroom in Fort Collins along with Wheat Ridge’s Dean Reed and also the Mello-Tones
August 26th, 1959 – The Fort Collins Coloradoan – CO
KIMN’s Pogo Poge Broadcasts Live from the Snake Pit at Zales Jewelers in Denver with Rattlers, Boa Constrictor and Cotton Mouths
September 6th, 1959 – KIMN’s Sensational Six with Pogo Poge
February 8th, 1961 – KIMN’s Pogo Poge – Spectacular
February 15th, 1961 – Pogo Hosts the Pogo Teen Dances at Mammoth Gardens
February 14th, 1962 – Pogo Poge on the “Denver Tiger”
June 12th, 1963 – The Greeley Daily Tribune – CO
Pogo gives away records at the Greeley Moose Hall Teen Event
October 2nd, 1963 – Pogo Poge with Outstanding Pep Club Girl Pam Sheets
January 17th, 1964 – Pogo “Beatle Jock” Poge
January 3rd, 1965 – The Honolulu Advertiser – HI
April 25th, 1965 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
June 20th, 1965 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
December 25th, 1965 – The Honolulu Advertiser Sun – HI
January 2nd, 1966 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
November 13th, 1966 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
November 13th, 1966 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
November 20th, 1966 – The Honolulu Advertiser Sun – HI
June 4th, 1967 – The Honolulu Advertiser Sun – HI
November 19th, 1967 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
May 21st, 1968 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
February 2nd, 1969 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
April 17th, 1970 – The Honolulu Advertiser – HI
April 12th, 1972 – The Provo Daily Herald – UT
April 13th, 1972 – The Herald Journal – UT
June 2nd, 1972 – The Sapulpa Daily Herald – OK
June 3rd, 1972 – The El Paso Herald – TX
August 5th, 1972 – The Okmulgee Daily Times – OK
July 6th, 1973 – The Twin Falls Times-News – ID
November 17th, 1973 – The Desert News – UT
August 25th, 1980 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
April 26th, 1981 – The Hawaii Tribune Herald Sun – HI
August 15th, 1982 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
April 24th, 1991 – The Richfield Reaper – UT
March 18th, 1999 – The Honolulu Star Advertiser – HI
September 4th, 2010 – The Honolulu Star Advertiser – HI
August 16th, 2019 – The Honolulu Star Bulletin – HI
Pogo and Checkers teamed up often on TV
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