Sportscaster. He received recognition as an American sportscaster during the 20th Century, becoming well-known as the "Voice" of the Major League Baseball team of the Boston Red Sox, and for his coverage of the many nationally televised sporting events on NBC Sports and ABC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s. Born Curtis Edward Gowdy, he was called "Curt". He excelled in sports during his high school years and had an interest in sports journalism being the reporter for the school newspaper. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1942 with a degree in business statistics, he entered the United States Army during World War II commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He had hopes of becoming a fighter pilot but a old back injury from sports gave him a medical discharge with surgery for a ruptured disc in 1943, which followed with chronic back problems. He began his career in 1944 in Cheyenne, Wyoming with radio broadcasting high school football games, then baseball and basketball games in Oklahoma City before teaming with Mel Allen and the New York Yankees in 1949. He became the Boston Red Sox signature voice from 1951 to 1966. After leaving the Red Sox, he became the "Game of the Week " announcer for NBC and was also the longtime host of the "American Sportsman" series. His career declined in 1985 with the cancelation of the "American Sportsman." His last broadcast was in May of 2003 with the Red Sox at the "Living Legend" game at Fenway Park in Boston. During his sportscasting career, he called 13 World Series and 16 All-Star Games. He received the George Foster Peabody Award, Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the Pete Rozelle Award from the National Pro Football Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement Emmy in 1992, and was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also a past president of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He died from leukemia.
Sportscaster. He received recognition as an American sportscaster during the 20th Century, becoming well-known as the "Voice" of the Major League Baseball team of the Boston Red Sox, and for his coverage of the many nationally televised sporting events on NBC Sports and ABC Sports in the 1960s and 1970s. Born Curtis Edward Gowdy, he was called "Curt". He excelled in sports during his high school years and had an interest in sports journalism being the reporter for the school newspaper. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1942 with a degree in business statistics, he entered the United States Army during World War II commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He had hopes of becoming a fighter pilot but a old back injury from sports gave him a medical discharge with surgery for a ruptured disc in 1943, which followed with chronic back problems. He began his career in 1944 in Cheyenne, Wyoming with radio broadcasting high school football games, then baseball and basketball games in Oklahoma City before teaming with Mel Allen and the New York Yankees in 1949. He became the Boston Red Sox signature voice from 1951 to 1966. After leaving the Red Sox, he became the "Game of the Week " announcer for NBC and was also the longtime host of the "American Sportsman" series. His career declined in 1985 with the cancelation of the "American Sportsman." His last broadcast was in May of 2003 with the Red Sox at the "Living Legend" game at Fenway Park in Boston. During his sportscasting career, he called 13 World Series and 16 All-Star Games. He received the George Foster Peabody Award, Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the Pete Rozelle Award from the National Pro Football Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement Emmy in 1992, and was selected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also a past president of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He died from leukemia.
Bio by: Fred Beisser
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