Benjamin Franklin Deford III (December 16, 1938 – May 28, 2017) was an American
sportswriter
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...
and
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
. From 1980 until his death in 2017, he was a regular sports commentator on
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
's ''
Morning Edition
''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 AM ...
'' radio program.
Deford wrote for ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' magazine from 1962 until his death in 2017, and was a correspondent for the ''
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
''Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel'' is a monthly sports news magazine on HBO. Since its debut on April 2, 1995, the program has been presented by television journalist and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel.
Overview
Format
Each episode consists of fo ...
'' television program on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
.
He wrote 18 books, nine of them novels. A member of the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, Deford was six times voted
National Sportswriter of the Year by the members of that organization, and was twice voted Magazine Writer of the Year by the ''Washington Journalism Review''.
In 2012, Deford became the first magazine recipient of the
Red Smith Award
The Red Smith Award is awarded by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) organization for outstanding contributions to sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and com ...
. In 2013, he was awarded the
National Humanities Medal
The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities, broadened our citizens' engagement with the human ...
, was presented with the William Allen White Citation for "excellence in journalism" by the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
, and became the first sports journalist ever to receive the
National Press Foundation
The National Press Foundation is a nonprofit journalism training organization. It educates journalists on complex issues and trains them in reporting tools and techniques. It recognizes and encourages excellence in journalism through its awards.
...
's highest honor, the W.M. Kiplinger Award for Distinguished Contributions to Journalism.
Deford's archives are held by the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
, where an annual lecture is presented in his name. He was a long-time advocate for research and treatment of
cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...
.
Life and career
Early life
Deford grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, the oldest of three sons, and attended the
Calvert School
Calvert School, founded in 1897, is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational lower and middle school located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Calvert School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) as well as the Ass ...
and
Gilman School
Gilman School is an all-boys independent school located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. There are three school divisions: Lower School, grades pre-kindergarten through five; Middle School, grades six through eight; and Upp ...
in Baltimore. He is a graduate of
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
and resided in
Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
, with his wife, the former Carol Penner, who had been a fashion model. They have two surviving children: Christian (b. 1969) and Scarlet (b. 1980). Scarlet was adopted as an infant from the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
a few months after his daughter Alexandra's death from
cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...
at age 8 on January 19, 1980. Deford has two grandchildren; Annabel (b. 2010) and Hunter (b. 2012). Deford met his wife in
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
and they were married in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
in 1965.
Career
After graduation from Princeton in 1962, Deford began his career as a researcher at ''Sports Illustrated.'' In addition to his writing at ''Sports Illustrated'', he was a commentator on CNN and worked as a correspondent for HBO's ''Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel'' since 1995. He was a regular Wednesday commentator for NPR's ''
Morning Edition
''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 AM ...
'' from 1980 to 2016, when his essays became monthly until he retired in May 2017. Among Deford's most frequent topics was his disdain for
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
. His 1981 novel ''
Everybody's All-American
''Everybody's All-American'' is a novel by longtime ''Sports Illustrated'' contributor Frank Deford, published in 1981. It was made into a motion picture, directed by Taylor Hackford.
Plot summary
The novel tells the story of a fictional famou ...
'' was named one of ''Sports Illustrated's'' Top 25 Sports Books of All Time and was later made into a
film of the same title.
Much of the fiction he wrote is set outside of the sports realm. His last novel was the acclaimed ''Bliss, Remembered'', a 1930s romance between a pretty young American and the son of a German diplomat; the story is written from the point of view of the woman. He was also the screenwriter on the films ''
Trading Hearts
''Trading Hearts'' is a 1988 American comedy film directed by Neil Leifer and starring Raul Julia and Beverly D'Angelo.
Cast
*Raul Julia as Vinnie Iacona
* Beverly D'Angelo as Donna Nottingham
*Jenny Lewis as Yvonne Rhonda Nottingham
*Parris Bu ...
'' (1988) and ''Four Minutes'' (2005).
In 1989, Deford became editor-in-chief of ''
The National'', the first daily U.S. sports newspaper. It ceased publication after only 18 months. After writing for ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' and ''
Vanity Fair'', Deford became a senior contributing writer at ''Sports Illustrated''.
Advocacy
Deford served as chairman of the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. The Foundation prov ...
from 1982 until 1999 and was chairman emeritus after that. He became a cystic-fibrosis advocate after his daughter Alexandra was diagnosed with the illness in 1972. After she died at age 8 on January 19, 1980, he chronicled her life in the memoir ''
Alex: The Life of a Child''. The book was made into a movie starring
Craig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson (born April 4, 1944) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Hayden Fox in the sitcom ''Coach'' (for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series), Deputy Ward Wilson in the 19 ...
as Deford,
Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie Bedelia Culkin (born ) is an American actress. After beginning her career in theatre in the 1960s, Bedelia starred in the CBS daytime soap opera ''Love of Life'' and made her film debut in ''The Gypsy Moths''. Bedelia subsequently appeare ...
as his wife Carol, and
Gennie James as Alex.
Death
Deford died on May 28, 2017, at the age of 78, at his home in
Key West, Florida
Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...
.
Awards and accomplishments
*Member of the
National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame
*Six-time U.S. Sportswriter of the Year winner
*Twice voted Magazine Writer of the Year by the
Washington Journalism Review
The ''American Journalism Review'' (''AJR'') was an American magazine covering topics in journalism. It was launched in 1977 as the ''Washington Journalism Review'' by journalist Roger Kranz. It ceased publication in 2015.
History and profile
Th ...
*
National Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards, also known as the Ellie Awards, honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design. Or ...
recipient for 1999 Sports Illustrated article on Bill Russell
*Peabody Award recipient for writer on 1999 HBO documentary "Dare to Compete"
*
Christopher Award
The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...
winner
*University of Missouri Honor Award for Distinguished Service to Journalism
*Winner of a 1988
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for his work as a writer during the Seoul Olympics
*Winner of a
CableACE Award
The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Amer ...
in 1994 for writing the HBO Sports documentary ''Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World''
*
Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism
The Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalism was established in 2002 to honor the memory of one of America's pre-eminent sports writers, Dick Schaap. The award is presented by the Nassau County Sports Commission and is given out to the journa ...
recipient in 2003
*Received ten honorary degrees, most recently in 2011 from Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland.
*2012 Inducted into the
Roller Derby Hall of Fame The Roller Derby Hall of Fame, also known as the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame, was founded in 1952,William H. Young and Nancy K. Young, ''World War II and the Postwar Years in America'', p.596 by the editors of the ''Roller Derby News'' paper. ...
.
*2012 Denver Press Club, Damon Runyon Award Recipient
*2013
William Allen White Foundation National Citation at the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
*2013 Awarded a National Humanities Medal for "transforming how we think about sports."
*2013
PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing
Published books
* ''Five Strides on the Banked Track: The Life and Times of the Roller Derby'',
Little Brown & Company (1971),
* ''Cut 'n' Run'',
Viking Press
Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquire ...
(1973)
* ''There She Is: The Life and Times of Miss America'', Viking Press (1975)
* ''Big Bill Tilden: The Triumphs and The Tragedy'',
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
(1976)
* ''The Owner'', Viking Press (1978)
* ''
Everybody's All-American
''Everybody's All-American'' is a novel by longtime ''Sports Illustrated'' contributor Frank Deford, published in 1981. It was made into a motion picture, directed by Taylor Hackford.
Plot summary
The novel tells the story of a fictional famou ...
,'' Viking Press (1981)
* ''Alex: The Life of a Child'', Viking Press (1983)
* ''The Spy in the Deuce Court'',
Putnam (1986)
* ''The World's Tallest Midget: The Best of Frank Deford'', Little Brown (1987)
* ''Casey On The Loose'', Viking Press (1988)
* ''Love and Infamy'', Viking Press (1993)
* ''The Best Of Frank Deford'', Triumph Books (2000)
* ''The Other Adonis: A Novel'', Sourcebooks Landmark (2001)
* ''An American Summer: A Novel'', Sourcebooks Landmark (2002)
* ''The Old Ball Game,''
Atlantic Monthly Press
Grove Atlantic, Inc. is an American independent publisher, based in New York City. Formerly styled "Grove/Atlantic, Inc.", it was created in 1993 by the merger of Grove Press and Atlantic Monthly Press. As of 2018 Grove Atlantic calls itself "A ...
(2005)
* ''The Entitled'', Sourcebooks Landmark (2007)
* ''Bliss, Remembered'',
The Overlook Press
The Overlook Press is an American publishing house based in New York, New York, that considers itself "a home for distinguished books that had been 'overlooked' by larger houses".
History and operations
It was formed in 1971 by Peter Mayer, wh ...
(2010)
* ''Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter'', Atlantic Monthly Press (2012)
See also
*
WSHU
References
External links
Frank Deford Archiveat SI
Frank Deford's Insider Archivealso at SI
*
Frank Deford, NPR BiographyFrank Deford articles at BylinerFrank Defordat Yahoo!
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deford, Frank
1938 births
2017 deaths
American television reporters and correspondents
20th-century American novelists
NPR personalities
Sports Emmy Award winners
Novelists from Connecticut
Princeton University alumni
National Football League announcers
Gilman School alumni
Writers from Baltimore
People from Westport, Connecticut
21st-century American novelists
National Humanities Medal recipients
Red Smith Award recipients
American male novelists
Tennis writers
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
Novelists from Maryland
20th-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
American male non-fiction writers
Sportswriters from Maryland