Ted Husing
Ted Husing | |
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Pasadena, California | |
Occupation | Sports commentator |
Edward Britt Husing (November 27, 1901 – August 10, 1962) was an American sports commentator. He was among the first to lay the groundwork for the structure and pace of modern sports reporting on radio and television.
Overview
Early life and career
Husing was born in The Bronx, New York, and given the name Edmund.[1] (One source says Husing was born in Deming, New Mexico.[2] Another says, "Husing was born in New Mexico, and while still in knee breeches was moved across to [sic] the United States to Gloversville, N.Y.")[3]
The youngest of three children of
At age 16, he joined the
By 1926, Husing was working at WJZ, which made him "its specialist in announcing dance programs."[4] A newspaper article reported that Husing was selected for the job "out of 610 applications for the position of announcer at station WJZ."[5]
As an announcer, Husing's rapid manner of speech earned him the nickname Mile a Minute Husing. His use of descriptive language combined with a commanding voice made his broadcasts must-listen events. By 1927, he was voted seventh most popular announcer in a national poll. Following a pay dispute, he moved to Boston, where he broadcast Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) baseball games.
Later in 1927, he returned to New York and helped his mentor, J. Andrew White, start the new CBS chain.[6] After cigar mogul William S. Paley bought the cash-strapped network in 1928, Ted Husing rose to new heights of glory and fame.
CBS
At CBS, Husing took on a wide variety of events. In 1929, he was named studio director of WABC (the CBS flagship station) in addition to continuing his work as an announcer for the network.[7]
He was the original voice of the
In addition to his sports preeminence, Husing did news and special events coverage for the
In both sports and special events areas, Husing developed a bitter rivalry with rising NBC announcer Bill Stern. When the two became the sports stars of their rival networks (and eventually their networks' sports directors), they would battle fiercely not only for events but also for broadcast position.
Husing could be arrogant, coarse, and opinionated. He was the first to bring a candid, editorial style to sports play-by-play. He was barred for two years by
Move from CBS to WHN
In 1946, Husing moved from CBS to
The trade publication Variety reported that Husing's dismissal from the DuMont boxing brodcasts "set a precedent which is being labelled as a discredit to the industry."[9] Husing's departure was initially said to be for economic reasons, but later reports indicated that he was let go because of criticism by people in the boxing business. Husing had been employed by packager Emil Lence — not DuMont — so the decision was beyond the network's control.[9]
Forced retirement and death
In the spring of 1954, an operation to treat a malignant brain tumor left him blind and forced him to retire. He appeared on the television show This Is Your Life, broadcasters held a fundraiser for him in January 1957, and talk of a comeback followed. However, his condition worsened and the plans were stifled. After moving to Pasadena, California, under the care of his mother, Bertha, and daughter Peggemae, he died in 1962. He was interred at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Pasadena.
Awards
In 1963, Husing became the second inductee of the
In 1984, Husing was part of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame’s inaugural class which included sportscasting legends Red Barber, Don Dunphy, Graham McNamee and Bill Stern.[11]
Books
Husing wrote a memoir, Ten Years Before the Mike, published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1935.[12] It was also printed in serial form in Cosmopolitan magazine.[13] He also wrote, with the "as told to" assistance of Cy Rice, a book about his blindness: My Eyes Are in My Heart. It was published in 1959 by
Legacy
As a college football commentator for CBS, he laid down much of the structure of football play-by-play that is still used today. He devised some of the earliest spotting boards to identify the players on the field. Husing also interviewed coaches and players before games and attended strategy sessions.
In 1936, Husing narrated Catching Trouble, a
Husing has a star in the Radio section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.[14]
His "on air" voice was heard (as himself) over a radio in the 1936 Broadway stage production of Double Dummy, written by Doty Hobart and Tom McKnight and staged by Edith Meisner.
References
- ^ "New York City Births". FamilySearch. : Edmund Husing, 27 Nov 1901; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference cn 3687 New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 2,022,954
- ^
- ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 494.
- ^ a b "Cry 'Foul' Over Husing's Ouster By 'Packager of DuM Boxing Bouts". Variety. April 1, 1953. p. 67. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "1963 – Edward Brit "Ted" Husing". National Sports Media Association. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Hall of Fame". American Sportscasters Association. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Ten Years Before the Mike. Farrar and Rinehart. January 1935. Retrieved October 19, 2014 – via Amazon.com.
- ^ "(untitled brief)" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 15, 1935. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
- ^ "Ted Husing". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
External links
- For a more comprehensive look at the life and career of Ted Husing visit [1]
- Ted Husing at Find a Grave