Fred Russell Fred Russell ( August 27 , 1906 – January 26 , 2003 ) was an American sports writer prominent in the Golden Era of Sports in the 20th century . He was a lifelong resident of Nashville , Tennessee and was sports editor and later Vice - President of the " Nashville Banner " daily newspaper . Russell is a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame . One of his most enduring legacies was his influence on collegiate sports , specifically as Chairman of the Honors Court of the College Football Hall of Fame for 29 years . The Honors Court determines the inductees to the Hall of Fame . As a journalist , he was known for his dedication , fairness and positive writing style . He was also known for his unprejudiced coverage of all people regardless of race , creed or religion . In addition , Russell was known for his sports humor and practical jokes . He published three books of sports humor in the 1940s . Russell was a protégé and friend of famed sportswriter Grantland Rice . Both Rice and Russell were from Middle Tennessee and both attended and graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville . Family life . Russell and his wife Kathryn Early Russell were married for 63 years , until her death in 1996 . They have four children , all daughters , and eleven grandchildren . Russell worked past the age of 90 and lived until the age of 96 . He was contracted by the United States Government during World War II to write entertainment books for the American troops . He was on the forefront of progressive , visionary journalism promoting African - American minorities in the 1950s , 1960s and 1970s , especially during the Civil Rights era . He covered these important people and figures when many other journalists would not . Influence . An influential figure in the Golden Age of sports , Russell was sports editor of the " Nashville Banner " for 68 years , from 1930 - 1998 . In an era when newspapers were the primary form of information to the public , well before television was popular , Freddie Russell was a local legend in Middle Tennessee and was well known in the sports world throughout the nation . He was well known and popular as a writer , however he was also a charismatic public speaker , Russell was widely regarded throughout the South as one of the foremost authorities on the world of sports . Noted for his humor and occasional practical jokes , he was a classic storyteller who could hold any size audience captive . Russell had a positive and optimistic writing style , always focused on the good side of the story , person and group . He was respected as a gentleman , always promoting and recognizing the dignity of all people . According to one longtime colleague , Joe Biddle , who Russell hired and mentored , he had the uncanny ability of making others feel more important than himself . Russell was one of the primary journalists who covered the Tennessee State University Tigerbelles track team in their amazing success in the 1960 Olympics in Rome . Russell and TSU coach Ed Temple remained friends throughout their lives . Wilma Rudolph , who is originally from the town of Clarksville near Nashville , was one of the heroes of the 1960 Olympics . Career . Early life . Russell was the favored sports scribe in Nashville for nearly 70 years . Originally from Wartrace , Tennessee , outside of Nashville , the Russell parents and their two sons moved to Nashville when the young Fred was six years old . Russell attended the prestigious Duncan Preparatory School in Nashville . Duncan School at that time was located on the present - day campus of Vanderbilt University , next to Memorial Gymnasium . There is an Historical Marker at that location . Russell then attended Vanderbilt University Class of 1927 in Nashville . At Vanderbilt , Russell was a good student , a member of the Kappa Chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity , and a varsity baseball player . He later attended Vanderbilt " Law School " . In 1929 , Russell was hired for the police beat by the " Nashville Banner " . The following year , Russell became the Sports Editor of the " Banner " , replacing Ralph McGill . Russell would be a member of the " Banner " staff until the paper closed in 1998 . Over the next 68 years , Russell wrote over 12 , 000 columns , mostly in a column named " Sidelines " . Golden Age of Sports . Russell covered the major sports in America for over 65 years . His heyday was the Golden Age of sports — the 1930s to the 1950s — when newspapers were the principal form of media and news , before television and money became the central emphasis of modern sports . While Russell was always focused on covering Tennessee and southern athletics first , he nonetheless was well - known nationally and had a unique insight into the growth and expansion of athletics in the nation . The sports and events he annually and regularly covered and contributed to were : college football ; amateur and pro baseball ; the Masters Golf Tournament ; the Kentucky Derby ; championship boxing ; college football bowl games , including The Sugar Bowl and The Rose Bowl ; and The Olympic Games ( 1960 – 1976 ) . Russell gained national notoriety in the 1940s and 1950s for writing one of the most popular annual college football previews , the Pigskin Preview , for " The Saturday Evening Post " , one of the most popular magazines of that day . He covered the major Bowl Games throughout the decades . Russell was one of the principle journalists involved in the growth and popularity of college football , the Southeastern Conference , and the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) . Humor and practical jokes . Among Russell ' s trademarks was his emphasis on the lighter , humorous side of sports as well as his penchant for playing practical jokes . His three sports humor books , " I ' ll Go Quietly " ( 1944 ) , " I ' ll Try Anything Twice " ( 1945 ) and " Funny Thing About Sports " ( 1948 ) were collections of humorous quotes , jokes , anecdotes and stories from the world of sports . The first two were published specifically for American troops in World War II , before television and radio were able to entertain troops abroad . Russell and his friends and colleagues often played practical jokes on unsuspecting victims . In one instance , Russell and company had an acquaintance who wore the same felt hat daily to lunch . The group bought the identical hat in a size one inch smaller and spent several weeks trading the hats back and forth . Many times , Russell would talk a friend into pulling a gag on someone , thereby relieving Russell of direct blame . They would move balls to bad lies during golf rounds , imitate important people in prank phone calls and engage in innocent jokes to entertain themselves and others . Russell also had a unique language which sounded somewhat like Chinese that he would use to entertain , or baffle , unsuspecting listeners . Once , when writing his annual " Pigskin Preview " for " The Saturday Evening Post " , Russell arrived on the campus of West Point in New York , only to immediately receive news from an officer in a jeep that there was artillery in the area and to seek cover . Russell and his escort dove behind the nearest roadside hill , receiving heavy artillery , only to find out later it was staged with artillery blanks . Russell had the tables turned on him . Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame . Russell was instrumental in the formation and history of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame , honoring those who have excelled in contribution to sports in Tennessee . In 2003 , the Hall began the Fred Russell Distinguished American Award , given annually to a Tennessean who has exhibited excellence in their contribution to sports . Russell ' s memorabilia , including his personal items , photographs , awards , honors , are in several locations in Nashville . These locations include The Nashville Downtown Public Library " Nashville Banner " History Room and Exhibit ; the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame ; and The Brentwood Academy exhibit room in Brentwood , Tennessee . End of " Banner " . In 1998 , the " Banner " folded and it was assumed that the 92 - year - old Russell would retire . Instead he was hired to write a weekly column for " The Tennessean " . He completed his 70th year as a journalist in 1999 , then retired . Russell penned his last sports column for the multi - author book " Nashville : An American Self - Portrait " in 2001 . His byline thus appeared in nine different decades . His friends and his legacy . Grantland Rice . Grantland Rice has long been considered the dean of American sportswriters . Rice and Russell were longtime colleagues and shared many similarities . They were both Tennesseans and graduates of Vanderbilt University , and the two had similar styles as writers and people . Rice was originally from Murfreesboro , Tennessee , and he worked as a sportswriter in Nashville before joining the New York Herald ( later Herald Tribune ) from 1911 - 1930 . Many in the world of sports and sports journalism consider Russell to be another one of the deans and pioneers of American sportswriters . Always possessing the qualities of a gentleman , Russell was focused on the craft of writing and reporting and his legacy of promoting the people , groups and teams that he covered . Others . In football , Russell was a contemporary and friend of Gen . Bob Neyland , Coach Paul ' Bear ' Bryant , Red Sanders and many others . Russell actually helped Bryant get one of his first assistant coaching jobs at Vanderbilt . The two remained lifelong friends . Red Sanders was the Head Football Coach at Vanderbilt before going to UCLA , and both were also lifelong friends . As a longtime baseball writer , especially in the 1940s , 1950s and 1960s , Russell often spent as long as a month covering spring training each year . He and fellow sportswriters such as Red Smith and Bill Corum would often travel together and stay with players in Florida ( at hotels like the Soreno Hotel in St . Petersburg ) . Russell became friends with many of the notable baseball stars of that era , as he covered legendary teams like the Yankees , the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers . Even into the later years of his career , he was highly regarded by the legends of baseball , from Tommy Lasorda to Bowie Kuhn to Joe Dimaggio . Russel covered the inaugural and then over 40 Masters golf tournaments in Augusta , Georgia , all the while remaining friends with Bobby Jones and the other golf pioneers of the day . He covered major championship boxing and was a friend and contemporary of Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey . At the 25th Anniversary of Russell ’ s career at the " Nashville Banner " , many paid tribute to Russell . The 1955 celebration included stars such as football greats Red Grange and Bear Bryant , Bobby Jones and Jack Dempsey , as well as writer Red Smith from New York , all attending to honor their friend Freddie Russell . His legacy . Russell ' s influence on the world of sports is evident in Nashville , in the state of Tennessee and beyond . Those who knew him often speak of him as a great mentor and friend . He of course impacted those he worked with daily , including longtime " Banner " reporters such as Waxo Green , Edgar Allen , George Leonard , Joe Biddle and many others . He was the primary Nashville and Middle Tennessee sports man for most of the 50 - plus years he was the Sports Editor at the Banner , having close friendships with the notable Nashville sports leaders of the era , such as Ed Temple , Larry Schmittou , future SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer and many others . He was always the primary ' go - to ' guy for Vanderbilt athletics for those years as well . He has influenced many young people through the TRA Rice - Russell Scholarship . Many well - known writers today were Rice - Russell scholars , including Roy Blount , Skip Bayless and others . Many other sportswriters such as Doug Segrest ( " Birmingham News " ) and Lee Jenkins count Russell as a mentor and friend . Segrest began his career at the Banner . Russell was a mentor of ESPN ' s Buster Olney , who attended Vanderbilt and began his career as a reporter for the " Banner " before his ascension to the top of the sports reporting world . Russell influenced literally countless young people and young men through the years . As one of the foremost authorities on college football for much of the 1940s and 1950s , Russell was contemporaries and friends with many of the top coaches and administrators . As the Chairman of the Honors Court of the College Football Hall of Fame for 29 years , Russell was the primary decision - maker regarding those who were inducted into the Hall of Fame . Many of those inducted credit Russell with their award and were grateful for his support and friendship . He impacted countless Vanderbilt student - athletes through the years . Whether he was writing about them , promoting their careers and endeavors , becoming friends with them as they entered the professional world , and / or welcoming them back to Vanderbilt through the years , Russell was the mainstay of the Vanderbilt community . One example is Art Demmas , legendary NFL umpire for 29 years . Demmas today is the Southern Region Chairman of the National Football Foundation . Demmas and Russell worked together for 42 years as the primary founders and leaders of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the NFF , which today is one of the biggest Chapters of the NFF . Demmas was a star football player for Vanderbilt in the 1950s . Early in his career , Demmas was a high school referee and got to know Russell . Later , Russell helped Demmas get a position as a college football referee . After working for several years at the college level , Demmas was recruited into the NFL as an umpire and later became an official . Another example is Nashville radio personality George Plaster . Plaster counts Russell a great influence and a major reason for his success . Russell helped Plaster get his initial broadcasting position at Vanderbilt . Plaster went on to be the Broadcaster for Vanderbilt athletics . He moved into the sports talk show industry in Nashville , and today he is host of the top - rated and most popular sports talk show in Tennessee , The Zone on 104 . 5 FM . Russell also of course influenced his family members . His family members , including daughters , sons - in - law and grandchildren , have had careers in many fields , such as : public service , medicine , psychiatry , banking , manufacturing , business , law , journalism and others . Major awards and honors . In 1954 , the " Grantland Rice Scholarship " at Vanderbilt was begun in honor of Rice . Endowed by the Thoroughbred Racing Association ( TRA ) , the scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming first - year student with an interest in sportswriting . Russell was from the beginning involved in the administration and selection process of the scholarship . Later , in 1984 , the TRA and its president , Charles J . Cella , endowed the scholarship in honor of Russell , making it the " Fred Russell - Grantland Rice Sportswriting Scholarship " . The scholarship is an annual award of $ 10 , 000 toward tuition at Vanderbilt . Russell was elected to the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 . At the time , he was only living sportswriter to receive the honor . He became a Charter Member of the Tennessee Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2005 . Russell received the Distinguished American Award in 1980 given by the National Football Foundation ( NFF ) . The award is given for excellence in exhibiting superior qualities of scholarship , citizenship and leadership . Two of the previous winners of the award were Vince Lombardi and Bob Hope . He was the Honor ' s Court Chairman of the College Football Foundation and Hall of Fame for 29 years . Russell is a past President of the Football Writers of America . He was also a member of the Heisman Trophy Committee for 46 years and was the " Southern " chairman of the Heisman Trophy Committee for 30 years . Many members of the College Football Hall of Fame credit Russell with their election to the Hall . Russell received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 1981 from the American Football Coaches Association , that same year he was awarded the Bert McGrane Award from the Football Writers of America . In 1983 , The National Turf Writers Association ( horse - racing ) awarded Russell the Walter Haight Award for Excellence in Turf Writing , he received the Red Smith Award for his contributions to journalism in 1984 . In 1957 , Russell received the inaugural Grantland Rice Memorial Award . The award was presented by the Sportsmanship Brotherhood of New York to the " " sportswriter in the United States who in his writing most nearly approaches the Rice tradition . " " Russell was named to the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class . Russell was awarded the Distinguished Journalism Award by the U . S . Olympic Committee in 1976 . Russell was awarded the Kappa Sigma Man of the Year in 1981 . In his hometown of Nashville , Russell was a longtime member of the Nashville Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation . He was instrumental in the development of Nashville ' s many recreation and athletic facilities . List of major awards and honors . In addition , the press box at Vanderbilt Stadium is named in honor of Russell . Books written . Russell ' s book " I ' ll Go Quietly " in 1944 was published primarily for members of the United States military during World War II to have for reading and entertainment during their time of service . Before the era of television and widespread radio , the book was a popular entertainment publication for the public and for members of the military .