Jack Whitaker

{{Infobox person

|name = Jack Whitaker

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|birth_name = John Francis Whitaker

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|05|18}}

|birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|08|18|1924|05|18}}

|death_place = Devon, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|occupation = Sportscaster & writer

|spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Bertha Raring Whitaker|1950|1990|end=div}}|{{marriage|Nancy Chaffee Whitaker|1991|2002|end=her death}}|{{marriage|Patricia Whitaker
|2005}}

}}

|children = 6

}}

John Francis Whitaker (May 18, 1924 – August 18, 2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jack-whitaker-legendary-cbs-sports-announcer-has-died-at-age-95-cause-of-death-natural-causes-2019-08-18/|title=Jack Whitaker, legendary CBS Sports announcer, has died at 95|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=18 August 2019 |access-date=2019-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190818190642/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jack-whitaker-legendary-cbs-sports-announcer-has-died-at-age-95-cause-of-death-natural-causes-2019-08-18/|archive-date=2019-08-18|url-status=live}} was an American sportscaster who worked for both CBS and ABC. Whitaker was a decorated army veteran of World War II. He fought in the Normandy Campaign and was wounded by an artillery strike.[http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/veterans/2014/06/01/jack-whitaker-world-war-ii-veteran/9833591/ WWII Vet Jack Whitaker credits luck for surviving war]

Biography

=Early life and career=

Whitaker was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Michael David |title=Super Bowl I broadcaster Jack Whitaker dies at 95 |url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/08/18/super-bowl-i-broadcaster-jack-whitaker-dies-at-95/ |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=ProFootballTalk |publisher=NBC |date=18 August 2019 |language=en}} After graduating from Northeast Catholic High School in 1941 and Saint Joseph's University in 1947, Whitaker began his broadcasting career at WPAM in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 1950, he moved to WCAU where he did local weather broadcasts as well as other local announcing duties. He continued to work for CBS' Philadelphia station while beginning to take assignments for the network.

=CBS Sports=

Whitaker entered network sports in 1961 at CBS, where he did play-by-play for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL and hosted the anthology series CBS Sports Spectacular among other duties. He worked for CBS for more than two decades. Whitaker is probably best remembered for his coverage of golf and horse racing. He covered thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown Events, golf's four major championships, the first Super Bowl, championship boxing, the National Professional Soccer League in 1967,{{Cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135457/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721040141/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1135457/index.htm|url-status=dead|title=Televised professional soccer was unveiled nationally last - 04.24.67 - SI Vault|archive-date=2012-07-21|access-date=2019-08-18}} the North American Soccer League a year later, and Major League Baseball. Whitaker was a studio host for The NFL Today at CBS, the network's pre-game show.{{cite news |title=Jack Whitaker, Hall of Fame sports broadcaster, dies at 95 |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2019-08-19/jack-whitaker-dies-hall-of-fame-sports-broadcaster |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=19 August 2019}}

Whitaker was banned from covering the Masters golf tournament for CBS after tournament chairman Clifford Roberts took offense when he said "Here comes the mob" in reference to the arrival of the gallery at the 18th hole of the Augusta National Golf Club at the end of a playoff in 1966.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VTUzAAAAIBAJ&pg=5864%2C2639860 |newspaper=Boca Raton News |agency=Associated Press |last=Rothenberg |first=Fred |title=Jack Whitaker's welcome now |date=April 12, 1979 |page=2B |access-date=September 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617165456/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VTUzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GZQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5864%2C2639860 |archive-date=June 17, 2016 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Jack Whitaker, Scholarly Sportscaster for CBS and ABC, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jack-whitaker-dead-erudite-sportscaster-cbs-abc-was-95-723626 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 18, 2019}} Six years later he was invited by CBS to attend the 1972 Masters as a spectator, but when Henry Longhurst became ill, he was asked to take over as telecaster, and he continued to telecast in the following years.

With the death of Dick Enberg on December 21, 2017, Whitaker was the only living play-by-play announcer from the first 21 Super Bowls. He had been the only living television broadcaster from the first seven Super Bowls since the death of Frank Gifford on August 9, 2015.

=ABC Sports and ABC News=

Moving to ABC in 1982, Whitaker served as a reporter for both news and sports divisions. He was a part of ABC's sports team at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, the 1984 Winter and Summer Olympic Games and the 1990 Little League World Series. He also reported sports for ABC's World News Tonight, Nightline, and 20/20. He retired from the network in 1993.{{cite news |last1=Goldstein |first1=Richard |title=Jack Whitaker, Emmy-Winning Sportscaster, Dies at 95 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/18/obituaries/jack-whitaker-dies.html |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=18 August 2019}}

=Death=

Whitaker died on August 18, 2019, in Devon, Pennsylvania, during his sleep from natural causes.{{cite news |title=Hall of Fame broadcaster Whitaker dies at 95 |url=https://www.espn.in/espn/story/_/id/27416027/hall-fame-broadcaster-whitaker-dies-95 |access-date=22 August 2019 |work=ESPN |date=18 August 2019 |language=en}}

Honors

Whitaker won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host or Commentator in 1979, for writing in 1990 and the Lifetime Achievement award in 2012. The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia named Whitaker their Person of the Year in 1981 and inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2003.{{cite web |title=Broadcast Pioneers - Innovators in Philly |url=http://broadcastpioneers.com |website=broadcastpioneers.com |access-date=22 August 2019}}

References

External links

[http://www.americansportscasters.com/whitaker.html American Sportscasters Association bio of Whitaker]
[http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/ Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia website]

{{succession box

| before=Frank Gifford

| title=The NFL Today host

| years=1971–1974

| after=Brent Musburger

}}

{{succession box | before=First| title=Super Bowl television play-by-play announcer (NFC package carrier) |years=1966 (with Ray Scott for the first half) | after=Ray Scott alone}}