Columnist/Author Mickey Herskowitz is President's Speaker

Houston Chronicle columnist and author Mickey Herskowitz, called "one of the wittiest writers alive," will make a President's Speaker Series presentation Nov. 16 at Sam Houston State University.

What that quote by famed sports columnist Red Smith does not take into account is that Herskowitz is probably one of the wittiest speakers alive as well, as his former students at Sam Houston State Teachers College remember.

His appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Beto Criminal Justice Center Killinger Auditorium.

When Herskowitz taught at Sam in the 1960s he was a young but already-noteworthy sports writer. One of his favorite stories was about asking Paul "Bear" Bryant how Bryant got his nickname, when Herskowitz was sent up to College Station to cover the Aggies for the Houston Post.

"I wrestled a (expletive deleted) bear once in a (expletive deleted) traveling circus," Bryant growled at Herskowitz, "and I don't like the (expletive deleted) name."

Needless to say, Herskowitz got off on a better foot with his many other autobiographical collaborators.
He has tons of inside-story material these days, after having done award-winning stories, columns and books about, for, and with people like Bryant, Dan Rather, Mickey Mantle, Howard Cosell, Gene Autry, Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, Nolan Ryan, Ruth Ryan, Tom Kite, John Connally, Nellie Connally, George Blanda, Leon Jaworski, Red McCombs, Prescott Bush and Walt Cunningham.

He is simply the most prolific "as told to" writer working today.

A graduate of the University of Houston, Herskowitz was the youngest sports editor of a major newspaper in the country at the age of 26. A former Marine, he has been inducted into the Houston Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, and is one of two Texans ever to receive the national Headliners Award for excellence in sports writing.

In addition to his writing and radio-TV commentaries, his career has ranged across the sports world. He is a former executive with the American Football League; a New York magazine editor, and an original partner in the Houston Rockets.

He does not remember all of the famous people he has known with fondness. He was once owner of the 1986 Breeders Cup Classic champion, Skywalker, and said that in all his years in sports it was the only time he was associated with a complete horse.

His appearance is part of the President's Speaker Series. It was created in January 2002 by James F. Gaertner, SHSU president, to introduce Sam Houston State University students, many of whom are first generation college students, to people who are living successful and principled lives. It is supported by a grant from long-time SHSU benefactor Lu Ellen Gibbs.

Previous speakers in the series have included Gene Stallings, Debbie Fields, Dave Dravecky, David Robinson and James Haley.

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
Nov. 11, 2004
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