Voice of the Wildcats : Claude Sullivan and the Rise of Modern Sportscasting

Joe Cox

ISBN 10: 0813147034 / ISBN 13: 9780813147031

Published by University Press Of Kentucky Sep 2014, 2014

About this Item

Neuware - As one of the first voices of the University of Kentucky men's basketball program, Claude Sullivan (1924-1967) became a nationally known sportscasting pioneer. His career followed Kentucky's rise to prominence as he announced the first four NCAA championship titles under Coach Adolph Rupp and covered scrimmages during the canceled 1952-1953 season following the NCAA sanctions scandal. Sullivan also revolutionized the coverage of the UK football program with the introduction of a coach's show with Bear Bryant-a national first that gained significant attention and later became a staple at other institutions. Sullivan's reputation in Kentucky eventually propelled him to Cincinnati, where he became the voice of the Reds, and even to the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome.In Voice of the Wildcats: Claude Sullivan and the Rise of Modern Sportscasting, Claude's son Alan, along with Joe Cox, offers an engaging and heartfelt look at the sportscaster's life and the context in which he built his career. The 1940s witnessed a tremendous growth in sportscasting across the country, and Sullivan, a seventeen year old from Winchester, Kentucky, entered the field when it was still a novel occupation that was paving new roads for broadcast reporting. During the height of his career, Sullivan was named Kentucky's Outstanding Broadcaster by the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters for eight consecutive years. His success was tragically cut short when he passed away from throat cancer at forty-twoFeaturing dozens of interviews and correspondence with sports legends, including Wallace 'Wah Wah' Jones, Babe Parilli, Cliff Hagan, Ralph Hacker, Jim Host, Billy Reed, Adolph Rupp, and Cawood Ledford, this engaging biography showcases the life and work of a beloved broadcast talent and documents the rise of sports radio during the twentieth century.

Seller Inventory # 9780813147031

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Voice of the Wildcats : Claude Sullivan and the Rise of Modern Sportscasting
• Publisher: University Press Of Kentucky Sep 2014
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813147034
• ISBN 13: 9780813147031
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 222W x 145H x 23D millimeters 222 millimeters width by 145 millimeters height by 23 millimeters depth
• Weight: 610 grams

About this title

Synopsis

As one of the first voices of the University of Kentucky men's basketball program, Claude Sullivan (1924–1967) became a nationally known sportscasting pioneer. His career followed Kentucky's rise to prominence as he announced the first four NCAA championship titles under Coach Adolph Rupp and covered scrimmages during the canceled 1952–1953 season following the NCAA sanctions scandal. Sullivan also revolutionized the coverage of the UK football program with the introduction of a coach's show with Bear Bryant―a national first that gained significant attention and later became a staple at other institutions. Sullivan's reputation in Kentucky eventually propelled him to Cincinnati, where he became the voice of the Reds, and even to the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome. His success was tragically cut short when he passed away from throat cancer at forty-two.

In Voice of the Wildcats: Claude Sullivan and the Rise of Modern Sportscasting, Claude's son Alan, along with Joe Cox, offers an engaging and heartfelt look at the sportscaster's life and the context in which he built his career. Featuring dozens of interviews and correspondence with sports legends, including Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, Babe Parilli, Cliff Hagan, Ralph Hacker, Jim Host, Billy Reed, Adolph Rupp, and Cawood Ledford, this engaging biography showcases the life and work of a beloved broadcast talent and documents the rise of sports radio during the twentieth century.

About the Author

Alan Sullivan is the son of Claude Sullivan and began working in the family broadcasting business, Sullivan Enterprises, at age eleven, assisting with the production of Kentucky basketball and football games. He managed the restoration of the Claude Sullivan Collection at the UK Archives and is a UK Fellow and former member of the UK Library National Advisory Board. Joe Cox is an attorney and is the author or coauthor of ten books, including 100 Things Wildcats Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.