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| Ted Husing | |
|---|---|
| Name | Theodore T. Husing |
| Birth date | November 29, 1901 |
| Birth place | The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States |
| Death date | February 14, 1962 |
| Death place | Stamford, Connecticut, United States |
| Occupation | Radio announcer, sports commentator, news commentator |
| Years active | 1926–1959 |
Ted Husing
Theodore T. Husing was an American radio announcer and pioneering sports commentator active from the 1920s through the 1950s. He worked for major networks and stations including WRCA, WJZ, CBS Radio, and NBC and became known for play-by-play coverage of Major League Baseball, boxing, college football, and college basketball. His career intersected with prominent figures and institutions in broadcasting and sports such as Bill Stern, Red Barber, Floyd Gibbons, Knute Rockne, and events like the World Series (baseball) and the Rose Bowl Game.
Born in The Bronx, New York City, Husing attended schools in Bronxville, New York and later enrolled at institutions associated with journalism and athletics in the Northeast. He had early exposure to public speaking through affiliations with local clubs and community organizations and was influenced by contemporaries such as Walter Winchell, Ira F. Brill, and Ed Sullivan who shaped the era’s media environment. His formative years coincided with national developments like the expansion of radio broadcasting in the 1920s and the cultural prominence of figures such as Jack Dempsey and Babe Ruth.
Husing’s radio career began in the mid-1920s on regional stations before he moved to major urban outlets including WOR and stations affiliated with the National Broadcasting Company network. He became a staff announcer for WJZ and later for CBS Radio Network, where he anchored news bulletins and special event coverage alongside personalities like Edward R. Murrow, Arthur Godfrey, and Al Jolson. His assignments included coverage of national ceremonies involving figures such as Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and events like the World Series and presidential inaugurations. He also worked with program directors and producers tied to organizations including Columbia Broadcasting System and stations owned by RCA.
Husing gained prominence through live play-by-play for Major League Baseball teams and postseason contests including the World Series and exhibition games featuring stars such as Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Babe Ruth. He called high-profile boxing matches with fighters like Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Sugar Ray Robinson and covered college athletics including the Rose Bowl Game and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in concert with contemporaries like Graham McNamee and Grantland Rice. Husing’s assignments placed him at stadiums and arenas associated with franchises such as the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, and venues like Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium.
Husing’s delivery featured rapid diction, emphatic intonation, and a newsman’s sense of pacing that influenced younger broadcasters including Red Barber, Mel Allen, and Bob Wolff. Critics and historians compare his approach to that of Bill Stern and Graham McNamee for its mixture of factual reporting and dramatic flourish; commentators such as William S. Paley and media scholars referencing figures like Edward R. Murrow noted his impact on the evolution of sports journalism and network announcing. His presence on national broadcasts helped shape the practices of play-by-play narration used later by personalities like Vin Scully and Harry Caray.
Husing’s career included on-air disputes and off-air controversies involving network management, rival commentators, and public figures. He engaged in public disagreements with executives affiliated with CBS and NBC over contract terms and programming control, and he was involved in contentious exchanges with journalists such as Walter Winchell and broadcasters like Bill Stern. Incidents involving critical commentary on athletes and sports administrators prompted responses from organizations like Major League Baseball and collegiate athletic conferences, and his blunt style occasionally drew censure from sponsors and station owners including interests connected to RCA and advertising agencies of the era.
After reducing his broadcasting schedule in the 1950s, Husing continued occasional sports and news assignments and participated in retrospectives alongside figures like Red Barber and Mel Allen. His death in Stamford, Connecticut in 1962 prompted obituaries in major publications and reflections by broadcasters such as Edward R. Murrow, Bill Stern, and Arthur Godfrey. Historians of broadcasting place him among early radio pioneers alongside Graham McNamee, Earl Godwin, and Floyd Gibbons, crediting his influence on later generations referenced in works about broadcast journalism and sports media evolution. His career remains cited in studies of network expansion, announcer style, and the institutional histories of CBS Radio, NBC Radio Network, and major American sports leagues.
Category:American radio personalities Category:Sports announcers