Furman Bisher (Furman Bisher)

Furman Bisher

Sports Journalist, Author. An esteemed and celebrated sports writer who made a lasting impression on the landscape of American sports journalism, he was known nationally for his association with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (in addition to Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post) from 1950 until his retirement in 2009. Born James Furman Bisher, his father was the founder of Bisher Hosiery Mill and later served as Mayor of Denton, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), where he studied Journalism and got his break in the newspaper industry with the Lumberton Voice (North Carolina), prior to moving onto the Charlotte News in 1940, where he served as an editor. Following service with the United States Military during World War II, he resumed his career and accomplished an impressive achievement in 1949, when he conducted the only known interview since 1919 with disgraced baseball figure “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (involved in the “Black Sox” World Series scandal of 1919) for Sport Magazine. In 1961, Bisher was named in a Time Magazine article as one of America’s five best columnists and later in the decade, he was a major proponent in bringing the Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta. During his lengthy career, he covered nearly all Super Bowls, NASCAR, the Kentucky Derby (from 1950 until retiring), Georgia Tech Football and the Masters Tournament in Augusta. Among his many honors include inductions into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame and the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame, to name a few. He was recipient of the prestigious Red Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Journalism in 1988. He has authored numerous sports books including “Face to Face” (2005, his collection of interviews with some of the greatest names in sports history) and an autobiography on Hank Aaron. He died from a heart attack. (bio by: C.S.)

Born

  • November, 04, 1918
  • USA

Died

  • March, 03, 2012
  • USA

Cemetery

  • Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery
  • Georgia
  • USA

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