1981 – Curt Gowdy

Born in Green River, Wyoming, on July 31, 1919, sportscasting legend Curt Gowdy broadcast 13 World Series, 16 Baseball All-Star Games, 12 Rose Bowls, 7 Olympic Games, and 8 Super Bowls during his incredible career. Gowdy’s career began in 1949, when he started broadcasting with the New York Yankees. Then after two years, he moved to the Boston, and became the voice of the Red Sox for 15 years. In 1966, Gowdy left the Red Sox to become lead announcer of NBC’s Game of the Week, a position he held until 1975. Along with his work at NBC, Gowdy was also the host of ABC’s “American Sportsman” for 15 years, starting in the early 1960s. During his career Gowdy won many awards including the first Peabody Award for outstanding journalistic achievement ever given to a sports figure, and four Emmy awards. Gowdy died in 2006. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame on April 6, 1981.