The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will spotlight its sports journalism legacy Nov. 19 at the Grady Fellows Tribute Evening at the Classic Center.
Two of the five Grady College alumni who will be inducted into the 2009 class of the Grady Fellowship have strong sports ties and are being honored for their influence, achievements and service to the media professions. Claude Felton, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UGA in 1970 and 1971, respectively, has held positions in the UGA Athletic Association since 1979. Gordon Smith is executive director and chief operating officer of the U.S. Tennis Association. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a law degree from UGA in 1975 and 1978, respectively.
The evening will include a panel discussion of “The Status of Sports Journalism in a 24/7 News Cycle.” Panelists include Furman Bisher, recently retired sports columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; “Mr. College Football” Tony Barnhart from CBS Sports, who received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from UGA in 1976; Mark Schlabach, college football and basketball columnist for ESPN.com, who earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from UGA in 1996; and Conrad Fink, Grady professor of journalism and author of Sportswriting: The Lively Game. The discussion will be moderated by Charlie McAlexander, assistant to the dean for sports journalism at Grady College.
Other alumni who will be inducted into the Fellowship class include television writer and producer Brenda Hampton, Los Angeles; former newspaper editor Ray Jenkins, Baltimore, Md.; and former advertising executive Ruth Trager, Atlanta.