Ted Damata (died May 23, 1988) was an American sports journalist for the

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

. He was awarded the

Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an accolade presented annually to a print newspaper columnist or reporter in recognition of their achievements covering the game of ice hockey. The award is "to recognize distinguished members of the newspaper ...

in 1984.

Personal life

Damata was married to Eleanore Lapenda and together they had four children.

Career

Damata began his sports writing career with the

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...

in 1929. From there, he became an assistant sports editor of the

Chicago Daily Times The ''Chicago Daily Times'' was a daily newspaper in Chicago from 1929 to 1948, and the city's first tabloid newspaper. It is best known as one of two newspapers which merged to form ''Chicago Sun-Times'' in 1948. For much of its existence, the ...

, and later came to

in the 1940s after the Times merged with the Chicago Sun. During his time at the Tribune, Damata formed a relationship with future Ferguson award winner Bob Verdi when the latter was beginning his career. Verdi worked under Damata until his retirement in 1975. In 1984, Damata received the Hockey Hall of Fame's

, given "in recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey." He died a few years later on May 23, 1988, at the age of 79.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Damata, Ted 1988 deaths Elmer Ferguson Award winners Male non-fiction writers American sports journalists