Philip Merrill College of Journalism | University of Maryland

From left: Merrill Dean Tom Kunkel, Michael Wilbon, Ben Bradlee, Maury Povich, Kevin Blackistone, Sally Jenkins and Povich Professor George Solomon

Journalists Recall Legacy of Shirley Povich at Second Annual Povich Symposium

For immediate release, Nov. 9, 2007

The Povich Symposium will be shown on UMTV (Comcast Channel 72 in Prince George's County, Channel 2 in Montgomery) on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 8 at 8 p.m.

COLLEGE PARK, Md.— Five of the nation's top journalists, sports reporters and TV personalities gathered at the University of Maryland last night for the second annual Shirley Povich Symposium, sponsored by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

More than 250 people were in the audience as former Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee, columnist and ESPN host Michael Wilbon, Post columnist Sally Jenkins, ESPN's Kevin Blackistone and TV's Maury Povich, the son of the symposium's namesake, discussed the legacy of Shirley Povich. The Washington Post sports writer and columnist was one of American sports' most influential voices through an extraordinary 75-year career.

Povich, who died in 1998 at age 92, was an eyewitness to most of the significant sporting events of the 20th century, from the 1927 Dempsey-Tunney fight to Lou Gehrig’s retirement speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939 to Cal Ripken’s breaking of Gehrig’s consecutive game streak 56 years later. He covered 60 World Series and 20 Super Bowls.

Povich Symposium Reception
Maury Povich, center, shared stories of growing up with the legendary sports reporter as Michael Wilbon, Ben Bradlee, Kevin Blackistone and Sally Jenkins look on.

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Povich also was an early and unwavering voice for the integration of sports. In 1939, he wrote a column advocating the integration of Major League Baseball, eight years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. He regularly criticized then-Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall for refusing to hire any black players.

Panelists recalled Povich's impact as the "face" for The Washington Post for many of its readers. Maury Povich, who was joined at the symposium by a few of Shirley's nieces and nephews, said he never saw his father without a typewriter until he reached age 14, and recalled how the family would move down to Florida during spring training so his father could cover the Washington Senators, averaging six columns a week, plus game stories and sidebars.

Bradlee said he feels The Washington Post would not be the paper it is today without Shirley. The audience heard stories of how generations of Washingtonians grew up learning to read by using Shirley's columns as primers. Blackistone, a native of Hyattsville, Md., said reading Shirley's work growing up inspired him, and continues to do so to this day.

Wilbon and Jenkins remembered Shirley's influence as they were developing their voice as Post sports reporters and columnists, and shared stories of Shirley's admiration and mentorship of young reporters.

Povich Symposium Reception
Merrill College Professor Carl Sessions Stepp, left, speaks with alumnus Michael Fribush '71, right, and Fribush's son Jared, at the VIP reception prior to the symposium.
The evening was moderated by Merrill College dean Tom Kunkel and Povich Professor George Solomon, the former sports editor at the Post.

The symposium was held in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. A VIP reception was held prior to the symposium, where Merrill College Dean's Circle members, alumni and special guests were able to mingle with each other and the panelists.

The Shirley Povich Symposium is part of the Merrill College's Shirley Povich Chair, an endowed professorship and the Merrill College's fourth chair. To date, nearly $1.2 million has been raised of the $1.5 million needed to endow the chair, with leadership gifts from Shirley's three children David, Lynn and Maury.

For more information contact: Matthew C. Sheehan at 301.405.8320.