Alan Sullivan and Joe Cox
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780813147031
- eISBN:
- 9780813154640
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813147031.001.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Radio
Claude Sullivan was a brilliant young man whose athletic career and studies were cut short by a near-fatal case of osteomyelitis while he was in high school. Claude found a niche in broadcasting. ...
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Claude Sullivan was a brilliant young man whose athletic career and studies were cut short by a near-fatal case of osteomyelitis while he was in high school. Claude found a niche in broadcasting. With his wife, Alyce, he took several jobs and moved around, before beginning full-time broadcasting of University of Kentucky sports in 1947. Claude broadcast many of the most memorable UK football and basketball squads of alltime in the next two decades, building relationships with coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Adolph Rupp. Claude also broadcast horse racing and later in his career Major League Baseball as the voice of the Cincinnati Reds. On a personal level, Claude was a mentor to many young broadcasters and a devoted husband and father. His interest in international travel manifested itself in several grand episodes that provided career highlights. Claude was also a business leader in broadcasting—creating an early sports radio network, running his broadcasts through his own company, and embracing early mobile technology. Claude developed cancer by 1966, and despite initial success in treatment, his condition deteriorated until his death in 1967. The impact of his work is still felt throughout sports broadcasting in Kentucky and the nation. Many of his broadcasts are preserved in the Claude Sullivan Collection in the University of Kentucky Archives, and between the highlights of those broadcasts, Claude’s own private documents, and the vast library from his career that he left behind, the inside story of a great Kentucky broadcaster now emerges.Less
Claude Sullivan was a brilliant young man whose athletic career and studies were cut short by a near-fatal case of osteomyelitis while he was in high school. Claude found a niche in broadcasting. With his wife, Alyce, he took several jobs and moved around, before beginning full-time broadcasting of University of Kentucky sports in 1947. Claude broadcast many of the most memorable UK football and basketball squads of alltime in the next two decades, building relationships with coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Adolph Rupp. Claude also broadcast horse racing and later in his career Major League Baseball as the voice of the Cincinnati Reds. On a personal level, Claude was a mentor to many young broadcasters and a devoted husband and father. His interest in international travel manifested itself in several grand episodes that provided career highlights. Claude was also a business leader in broadcasting—creating an early sports radio network, running his broadcasts through his own company, and embracing early mobile technology. Claude developed cancer by 1966, and despite initial success in treatment, his condition deteriorated until his death in 1967. The impact of his work is still felt throughout sports broadcasting in Kentucky and the nation. Many of his broadcasts are preserved in the Claude Sullivan Collection in the University of Kentucky Archives, and between the highlights of those broadcasts, Claude’s own private documents, and the vast library from his career that he left behind, the inside story of a great Kentucky broadcaster now emerges.
Alan Sullivan and Joe Cox
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780813147031
- eISBN:
- 9780813154640
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813147031.003.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Radio
Claude Sullivan was born in Winchester, Kentucky, in 1924. After a promising athletic career and dreams of attending college were shattered by a serious case of osteomyelitis in his teens, Claude ...
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Claude Sullivan was born in Winchester, Kentucky, in 1924. After a promising athletic career and dreams of attending college were shattered by a serious case of osteomyelitis in his teens, Claude discovered his talent for broadcasting. In his early twenties, he met and married Alyce Lee Grubs and worked his way up the broadcasting ladder, obtaining a position broadcasting University of Kentucky (UK) football and basketball in 1947.Less
Claude Sullivan was born in Winchester, Kentucky, in 1924. After a promising athletic career and dreams of attending college were shattered by a serious case of osteomyelitis in his teens, Claude discovered his talent for broadcasting. In his early twenties, he met and married Alyce Lee Grubs and worked his way up the broadcasting ladder, obtaining a position broadcasting University of Kentucky (UK) football and basketball in 1947.
Alan Sullivan and Joe Cox
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780813147031
- eISBN:
- 9780813154640
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813147031.003.0013
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Radio
After Claude’s death, all of the teams and many of the athletes and coaches he covered underwent significant changes. UK eventually went to a single network feed. Claude’s mentees and family have ...
More
After Claude’s death, all of the teams and many of the athletes and coaches he covered underwent significant changes. UK eventually went to a single network feed. Claude’s mentees and family have helped to keep his memory alive, and today the Claude Sullivan Collection in the UK Archives documents Claude’s remarkable career.Less
After Claude’s death, all of the teams and many of the athletes and coaches he covered underwent significant changes. UK eventually went to a single network feed. Claude’s mentees and family have helped to keep his memory alive, and today the Claude Sullivan Collection in the UK Archives documents Claude’s remarkable career.
Jim Host and Eric A. Moyen
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780813179551
- eISBN:
- 9780813179582
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813179551.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
Jim Host arrived at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1955. He majored in radio arts and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He made numerous lifetime friends and found important mentors, ...
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Jim Host arrived at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1955. He majored in radio arts and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He made numerous lifetime friends and found important mentors, including Professor Len Press. On the baseball diamond, Coach Harry Lancaster’s tough methods taught Host the importance of hard work and discipline. During the summers, Host worked various construction jobs and played semipro baseball. During the school year, he broadcast games on the student-run radio station WBKY and announced games on WVLK, where he learned from legendary broadcaster Claude Sullivan. After Host’s senior year, he was invited to try out for the Chicago White Sox. He made the cut and joined the organization’s minor league team. During one of the final games of the season, however, Host suffered a career-ending shoulder injury. He then returned to Lexington, Kentucky, where he planned to pursue a career in broadcasting.Less
Jim Host arrived at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 1955. He majored in radio arts and joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He made numerous lifetime friends and found important mentors, including Professor Len Press. On the baseball diamond, Coach Harry Lancaster’s tough methods taught Host the importance of hard work and discipline. During the summers, Host worked various construction jobs and played semipro baseball. During the school year, he broadcast games on the student-run radio station WBKY and announced games on WVLK, where he learned from legendary broadcaster Claude Sullivan. After Host’s senior year, he was invited to try out for the Chicago White Sox. He made the cut and joined the organization’s minor league team. During one of the final games of the season, however, Host suffered a career-ending shoulder injury. He then returned to Lexington, Kentucky, where he planned to pursue a career in broadcasting.
