1996 – Dan Jenkins

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on December 2, 1929, sportswriting legend Dan Jenkins has been a sportswriter for more than 6 decades. Jenkins began his career in his native Fort Worth at the Fort Worth Press and the Dallas Times Herald. Where he spent fifteen years working as a sportswriter, columnist and sports editor. He then left Texas to take up a position as a sportswriter at Sports Illustrated magazine in New York City. During his 24 years writing at Sports Illustrated, Jenkins byline appeared in the magazine more than 500 times. After leavingSports Illustrated in 1985, Jenkins began writing a monthly column for Golf Digest. Along with his work in newspapers and magazines, Jenkins is also an accomplished author having written 18 books. Among his works are the best-selling novels Semi-Tough, Dead Solid Perfect, Baja Oklahoma, Life Its Ownself, Fast Copy, and You Gotta Play Hurt. During his illustrious career Jenkins has receive many honors including the Lifetime Journalism Achievement Award, Lincoln A. Werden Award, and the Jack Nicklaus Memorial Journalism Award. He has also been inducted into three Halls of Fame. In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Jenkins was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame on April 29, 1996.