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{{short description|Canadian gas station employee and television personality (1934–2016)}}
{{for|the German meteorologist|Richard Assmann}}
{{infobox person
| name = Dick Assman
| image = Dick Assman.jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Richard Arthur Assman
| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|2|14}}
| birth_place = [[Neudorf, Saskatchewan]], Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|8|15|1934|2|14}}
| death_place = [[Regina, Saskatchewan]], Canada
| occupation = Gas station employee
| known_for = Appearances on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''
| father = Adolf Assman
| mother = Elizabeth Assman
}}

'''Richard Arthur Assman''' (February 14, 1934 – August 15, 2016) was a Canadian [[gas station]] employee whose name propelled him to celebrity status across North America for four months in 1995.

==Career==
In 1995, Assman moved from working at one [[Petro-Canada]] station to another. The latter station's owner took out an advertisement in the local newspaper that was sent anonymously to [[David Letterman]], who was amused by Assman's name.<ref name="Retirement">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/dick-assman-still-chuckles-over-his-david-letterman-fame-1.3076750|title=Dick Assman still chuckles over his David Letterman fame|work=cbc.ca|date=May 15, 2015|access-date=August 19, 2016|archive-date=August 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815091456/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/dick-assman-still-chuckles-over-his-david-letterman-fame-1.3076750|url-status=live}}</ref> Assman was introduced on July 24, 1995, on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where he was a nightly feature for about a month. During this time, he was known as "Assman the Gasman".<ref name="gasman">{{cite news|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/437313684|title=What a cheek: The Assman is coming to Ontario|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|date=4 August 1995|page=A14|access-date=3 September 2014|archive-date=4 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904121244/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/doc/437313684.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Live field units in Canada interviewed him for the show. Over the weeks, [[Joe Namath]] declared himself an "Ass-maniac", while Assman received a musical tribute from [[Tony Orlando]]<ref>{{YouTube|id = Rz-h16TwRDo|title = Late Show w/David Letterman - Dick Assman Part 1}}</ref> on Letterman:

<blockquote><poem>
Northgate [[Petro-Canada]]
Oh, they're relocating
Their new office at Victoria Square
They're celebrating
Oh [[Vaya con Dios (song)|vaya con dios]], Dick Assman
Vaya con dios, my love
</poem></blockquote>

As his fame grew,<ref name="assmania10">{{Cite news|date=9 August 1995|title=Assmania goes on tour|publisher=[[Waterloo Region Record]]|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275439121 |id={{ProQuest|275439121}} }}</ref><ref name="gasman"/><ref name="pal">{{cite news|date=28 July 1995|title=Letterman's Regina pal takes the Late Night ribbing in his stride|publisher=[[Waterloo Region Record]]|url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/275606091 |id={{ProQuest|275606091}} }}</ref> Vancouver polling company [[Angus Reid Public Opinion]] reported that 49 percent of surveyed Canadians in September 1995 had heard of his name.<ref name="luscombe">{{cite news|last=Luscombe|first=Belinda|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717031814/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983508,00.html|archive-date=2007-07-17|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,983508,00.html|title=NEXT: I.P. DALY ON NIGHTLINE|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=October 2, 1995}}</ref> He received a request to judge a [[Swimsuit competition|bikini contest]] in August 1995 for the Janetville Jamboree and Truck Pull in [[Janetville, Ontario]].<ref name="gasman" /> "Assmania" came to a close in August when Assman visited the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]] and was presented with a bouquet of roses by Letterman.<ref name="visit1">{{Cite news |publisher=Free Lance-Star|title=What's in a name? Ask Letterman guest |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5ukyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zgcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3868,4595682&dq= |access-date=2023-07-26 |date=21 August 1995}}</ref>

In October 1995, [[James Blanchard]], the [[List of ambassadors of the United States to Canada|U.S. ambassador to Canada]], paid a visit to Assman at his gas station, citing his status as "an international celebrity".<ref name="inter">{{cite news|date=5 October 1995|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/275425185|title=Ambassador visits Assman|publisher=[[Waterloo Region Record]]|id={{ProQuest|275425185}} }}</ref>

Dick Assman himself, who took all this ribbing good-naturedly, pronounced his name "oss-man".<ref name="Retirement"/>

==Personal life==
Assman was born in Neudorf, Saskatchewan, to Adolf and Elizabeth Assman.<ref name="Obituary">{{cite web|url=http://speersfuneralchapel.com/tribute/details/6377/Richard--Assman/obituary.html#content-start|title=Obituary of Richard Assman|work=speersfuneralchapel.com|date=August 15, 2016|access-date=August 19, 2016|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820113210/http://speersfuneralchapel.com/tribute/details/6377/Richard--Assman/obituary.html#content-start|url-status=live}}</ref> He died on August 15, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/08/19/dick-assman-of-letterman-fame-dies-at-82.html|title=Dick Assman of Letterman fame dies at 82|last=Hudes|first=Sammy|work=thestar.com|date=August 19, 2016|access-date=August 19, 2016|archive-date=August 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819160832/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/2016/08/19/dick-assman-of-letterman-fame-dies-at-82.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=1775001|name=Dick Assman}}
{{David Letterman}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assman, Dick}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Late Show with David Letterman]]
[[Category:People from Regina, Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Canadian people of German descent]]

Dick Assman - Revision history

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