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In Memory

Arthur Kulman: BA, 1949 (Speech Communication)

Seattle Rock & Roll Pioneer Dies at 82

SEATTLE - The Seattle community mourns the loss of rock radio pioneer, Arthur Kulman, who passed away at the age of 82 on December 14 after a year-long battle with lung cancer.

Art served as sales manager of KJR Radio from 1958 until 1969 and was instrumental in educating the business communities in Seattle and across the nation about the emerging post World War II surge of youth, now referred to as the Baby Boom Generation.

Art was born at Seattle's Providence Hospital in 1925.  He attended grammar schools in Seattle and San Francisco and later graduated from Garfield High School in 1942.  During World War II, Art served as an Army combat medic in the American Division in the Philippines and as a hospital registrar.

Art became interested in broadcasting while studying at the University of Washington and became active as a radio announcer on UW produced programs that were aired on various Seattle stations.  He was the original voice of the public address system at the new Seattle high school memorial football stadium.

Upon graduation from the University of Washington in December 1949, Art took a job at KELS in Kelso as a sports announcer and deejay.  A year later he moved across the river to Longview for a job at KWLK AM & FM.  He loved his job in Longview but longed to be back home in Seattle.

In August 1952, he found his way back to Seattle where he worked at KOL for three years and then KJR for fourteen years.  During his years at KJR, it was not uncommon for that radio station, owned by Lester Smith and Danny Kaye, and programmed by Pat O'Day to boast of a 37 percent rating, an unheard of dominance by a radio station. Today that rating would be more than the market share of the top seven local stations combined!

Art resigned from KJR in 1969 to open an ad agency which served clients such as Sears, the Seattle Pilots baseball team, Seattle Super Sonics, SL Savidge Chrysler-Dodge-Plymouth Co, ABC Record & Tape Sales and more.

In 1980, Art was named Manager of the Washington State Film Office, and is credited with luring major Hollywood film companies to shoot on location in Washington State.  During his six year tenure in the film office more productions were filmed in Washington than in all previous years in the state's history.  Movies shot during his tenure included An Officer and a Gentleman, War Games, Winds of War, Heart Like a Wheel and Power.  Despite being a one-man film office with one of the smallest budgets of all of the other 50 states in 1982, Washington State was ranked in the nation's top ten for major movie film production.

Upon retirement, Art enjoyed volunteering with SCORE where he served as a volunteer marketing counselor for small businesses, travel, and being with his family.

Art is survived by his wife of 54 years, Shirley Kulman, his daughter Debbie (Steve) Lawson, son Howard Kulman and four grandchildren Alex (Dan) Rosenstein, Dan (Tracy) Lawson, Carlee Kulman and Austin Kulman.