Bill Flemming
William Norman Flemming | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1926 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 2007 (aged 80) Petoskey, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Television sports journalist |
William Norman Flemming (September 3, 1926 – July 20, 2007) was an American
Biography
Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised by his aunt and uncle, Martha Gorrell Flemming and George A. Flemming, and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, by the time he entered high school.[1] While at Ann Arbor High School, he was a member of their state championship football team in 1943.[1] Flemming was also a member of the high school basketball team.
College life
Attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he entered as a Pre-medical major, but switched to speech after winning a campus wide speech contest which earned him a summer job at WUOM, the campus radio station.[1] Flemming would work his way up to sports director of the radio station.[1] He was a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity.
Broadcasting career
After graduating from Michigan, he went to work for
While with ABC, Flemming covered over 600 events for the program, including
While at NBC, Flemming also called the US Open golf tournament in 1957.[5] It was Flemming's reputation for tact and persistence that made him the go-to man in interviewing the reclusive Bobby Fischer during the 1972 World Chess Championships in Reykjavík, Iceland when Fischer was competing against defending champion Boris Spassky of the then-Soviet Union.[2]
Flemming was the first voice of the
Flemming was a Past President of the Detroit Sports Media Association and was named a Lifetime Member of the DSMA. On June 20, 2008, Flemming was elected posthumously to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.[6]
Personal life
Flemming married the former Barbara Forster.
Death
Flemming died of prostate cancer on July 20, 2007, in Petoskey, Michigan.[5] A memorial service was held on August 10 in Harbor Springs.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e Boston.com July 27, 2007 article on Flemming's death. - accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Petoskey (Michigan) News-Review July 24, 2007 article on Flemming death.[permanent dead link] - accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Tvjobs.com announcement of Flemming's death - accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ Bunksplace.com article on American bobsledder James Morgan's death during the 1981 FIBT World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. - Flemming was the first televised announcer for college basketball. Accessed January 21, 2008
- ^ a b c International Herald Tribune July 26, 2007 article on Flemming's death - accessed May 25, 2008.
- ^ Ex-Lions Moore, Murray among Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inductees
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