# Bill Libby

William Melvin "Bill" Libby (November 14, 1927 – June 17, 1984) was an American writer and biographer best known for books on sports including 65 on sports figures.

## Early years

Libby graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, also attended by several notable authors including Kurt Vonnegut. He served in the United States Navy from September 1945 to October 1948. He attended Indiana University from 1948 to 1951. Libby was sports editor of the Herald Statesman then later worked for the New York Post.

## Works

Libby wrote several books on sports figures including Rod Carew, Wilt Chamberlain, Phil Esposito, A. J. Foyt, Catfish Hunter, Fred Lynn, Rocky Marciano, Pete Rose, O. J. Simpson, Willie Stargell, and Fran Tarkenton as well as books on hockey, auto racing, professional football, and college football.
He also co-wrote several books on celebrities and sports people including Nancy Reagan, the Roosevelt family, Rick Barry, Vida Blue, Monty Hall, Richard Petty, John Roseboro, Nolan Ryan, and Jerry West.

## Libby national champions

Libby's 1975 book Champions of College Football selected a single college football national champion from the 1900 to 1974 college football seasons. As the highest level of college football does not have an official national champion, Libby's selections are often referenced by the athletic department of the selected university.
Six of Libby's champions, for the years (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1931, 1936), were not selected for that year as national champion by any NCAA-designated "major selector".
| Season | Champion | Record | Coach |
| 1900 | Yale | 12–0 | Malcolm McBride |
| 1901 | Michigan | 11–0 | Fielding H. Yost |
| 1902 | Michigan | 11–0 | Fielding H. Yost |
| 1903 | Princeton | 11–0 | Art Hillebrand |
| 1904 | Minnesota | 13–0 | Henry Williams |
| 1905 | Chicago | 10–0 | Amos Alonzo Stagg |
| 1906 | Princeton | 9–0–1 | William Roper |
| 1907 | Yale | 9–0–1 | William F. Knox |
| 1908 | Penn | 11–0–1 | Sol Metzger |
| 1909 | Yale | 10–0 | Howard Jones |
| 1910 † | Washington | 6–0 | Gil Dobie |
| 1911 † | Carlisle | 11–1 | Glenn "Pop" Warner |
| 1912 | Harvard | 9–0 | Percy Haughton |
| 1913 † | Notre Dame | 7–0 | Jesse Harper |
| 1914 | Illinois | 7–0 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1915 | Pittsburgh | 8–0 | Glenn "Pop" Warner |
| 1916 | Army | 9–0 | Charles Daly |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech | 9–0 | John Heisman |
| 1918 | Pittsburgh | 4–1 | Glenn "Pop" Warner |
| 1919 | Notre Dame | 9–0 | Knute Rockne |
| 1920 | California | 9–0 | Andy Smith |
| 1921 | Iowa | 7–0 | Howard Jones |
| 1922 | Cornell | 8–0 | Gil Dobie |
| 1923 | Illinois | 8–0 | Robert Zuppke |
| 1924 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Knute Rockne |
| 1925 | Alabama | 10–0 | Wallace Wade |
| 1926 | Navy | 9–0–1 | Bill Ingram |
| 1927 | Texas A&M | 8–0–1 | Dana X. Bible |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech | 10–0 | William Alexander |
| 1929 † | Tulane | 9–0 | Bernie Bierman |
| 1930 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Knute Rockne |
| 1931 † | Tennessee | 9–0–1 | Robert Neyland |
| 1932 | USC | 10–0 | Howard Jones |
| 1933 | Princeton | 9–0 | Fritz Crisler |
| 1934 | Alabama | 10–0 | Frank Thomas |
| 1935 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman |
| 1936 † | Northwestern | 7–1 | Pappy Waldorf |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh | 9–0–1 | Jock Sutherland |
| 1938 | Tennessee | 11–0 | Robert Neyland |
| 1939 | Texas A&M | 11–0 | Homer Norton |
| 1940 | Stanford | 10–0 | Clark Shaughnessy |
| 1941 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman |
| 1942 | Georgia | 11–1 | Wally Butts |
| 1943 | Notre Dame | 9–1 | Frank Leahy |
| 1944 | Army | 9–0 | Earl Blaik |
| 1945 | Army | 9–0 | Earl Blaik |
| 1946 | Notre Dame | 8–0–1 | Frank Leahy |
| 1947 | Michigan | 10–0 | Fritz Crisler |
| 1948 | Michigan | 9–0 | Bennie Oosterbaan |
| 1949 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Frank Leahy |
| 1950 | Kentucky | 11–1 | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| 1951 | Maryland | 10–0 | Jim Tatum |
| 1952 | Michigan State | 9–0 | Biggie Munn |
| 1953 | Notre Dame | 9–0–1 | Frank Leahy |
| 1954 | UCLA | 9–0 | Henry Sanders |
| 1955 | Oklahoma | 11–0 | Bud Wilkinson |
| 1956 | Oklahoma | 10–0 | Bud Wilkinson |
| 1957 | Auburn | 10–0 | Ralph Jordan |
| 1958 | LSU | 11–0 | Paul Dietzel |
| 1959 | Syracuse | 11–0 | Ben Schwartzwalder |
| 1960 | Ole Miss | 10–0–1 | Johnny Vaught |
| 1961 | Alabama | 11–0 | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| 1962 | USC | 11–0 | John McKay |
| 1963 | Texas | 11–0 | Darrell Royal |
| 1964 | Arkansas | 11–0 | Frank Broyles |
| 1965 | Michigan State | 10–1 | Duffy Daugherty |
| 1966 | Notre Dame | 9–0–1 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1967 | USC | 10–1 | John McKay |
| 1968 | Ohio State | 10–0 | Woody Hayes |
| 1969 | Texas | 11–0 | Darrell Royal |
| 1970 | Nebraska | 11–0–1 | Bob Devaney |
| 1971 | Nebraska | 13–0 | Bob Devaney |
| 1972 | USC | 12–0 | John McKay |
| 1973 | Notre Dame | 11–0 | Ara Parseghian |
| 1974 | Oklahoma | 11–0 | Barry Switzer |
† Champion not selected by any NCAA-designated "major selector".

## Awards

In 1964, Libby was named National Magazine Sportswriter of the Year. He was named to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

## Family

Libby and wife Sharon had two daughters, Allyson and Laurie Libby.