HST 310 Will Burns Dr. Hendricks Paper PresE!ntation

MARVIN "SKEETER" FRANCIS A LOOK AT WAKE FOREST SPORTS DURING THE 19405, 19505 AND 19605 THROUGH HIM

I.TOPIC MY TOPIC IS WAKE FOREST ATHLETICS AND THE SPECIFIC IMPACT OF THE SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR TO THE SCHOOL'S ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. I PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON MARVIN "SKEETER" FRANCIS AND THE TIME FI=lAME COVERS DEACON SPORTS OF THE 1940S, 50S AND 60S AS WELL AS THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FROM 1969 TO 1989. I TRIED TO BUILD CONTEXT BY DISCUSSING THE JOB OF THE SID OF THE PAST VERSUS THE JOB OF THE SID TODAY, THE IMPACT OF RIVALRIES, AND THE FORCE OF TECHNOLOGY ON SPORTS.

II.HOW I DID RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS A.WAKE FOREST ROOM IN Z. SMITH REYNOLDS LIBRARY B.SPORTS INFO. OFFICE FILES ANDCLIPPINGS \ C.NEWSPAPER ARTICLES D.PERSONAL MEDIA GUIDES AND BOOKS E.INTERVIEWED FRANCIS (WF SID, 1955-1969) AND JOHN JUSTUS (WF SID, 1984-PRESENT)

II!.INTERESTING THOUGHTS AND FACTS TO TAKE WITH YOU A.FRANCIS GREW UP IN DURItiAM AND ATIENDED OLD WF IN 1940S B.FRANCIS WAS WF'S SID FROM 1955-1969 (DURING THE MOVE) C.FRANCIS WAS ASSISTANT COMMISSSIONER AND SERVICE BUREAU DIRECTOR OF THE ACC FROM 1969 TO 1989. (HE RAN THE ACC-TOURNAMENT OVER THESE 20 YEARS.) D.HE HAS LIVED ON FACULTV DRIVE SINCE MID-1950S. E.HAD OFFICE NEXT TO PRESIDENT TRIBBLE AND THEY SHARED MANY LATE NIGHT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE SCHOOl. F.GAINED ALL-AMERICAN AND ALL-ACC RECOGNITION FOR DEACON GREATS LIKE , , AND LEN CHAPPELl. G.HAS ATIENDED EVERY SINGLE ACC TOURNAMENT SINCE 1955 AND ALMOST EVERY SINGLE FINAL FOUR SINCE 1960S. HIS WORK WITH MEDIA SET STANDARDS FOR RUNNING THE SHOW AT BIG TOURNAMENTS THAT ARE FOLLOWED TODAY! H.DURING ACC WORK, WORE A PLAID JACKET WITH ALL OF THE ACC SCHOOL'S COLORS IN IT. I.NOW RETIRED, HE STILL STAYS IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH PLAYERS, COACHES, AND ADMINISTRATORS; ATIENDS GAMES REGUL.ARL Y; AND HELPS THE ACC TV NETWORK REGULARLY DURING SEASON. J.JUSTUS, CURRENT SID, SAID THAT FRANCIS WAS MOST ADMIRED FOR HIS ABILITY TO STAY ON TASK AND RUN AN EVENT SMOOTHLY AS WELL AS SKEETER'S ACCESSIBILITY AND PERSONAL APPROACH. Marvin 'Skeeter' Francis Passes at 82 :: Longtime Wake Forest, ACC ... http://wakeforestsports.collegesports.comigenreIl070604aab.html

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Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Marvin 'Skeeter' Francis Passes at 82 diib Printer-Friendly Format MEN'S SPORTS ~ E-mail this article • Baseball Longtime Wake Forest, ACC publicist passed in • Basketball Winston-Salem on Tuesday • Cross Country • Football Marvin 'Skeeter' Francis • Golf Marvin "Skeeter" Francis • Soccer ., January 10, 1922 (Durham, N.C.) to • Tennis • Track & Field July 6,2004 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) WOMEN'S SPORTS • Skeeter Francis Photo Gallery • Basketball • Cross Country Marvin "Skeeter" Francis, the longtime sports information director at and later at the • Field Hockey Atlantic Coast Conference, passed away earlier today at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical . • Golf Francis was 82. • • Soccer • Tennis A Durham (N .e.) native, Franci!'tserved 15 years at Wake Forest as director of sports publicity, beginning in • Track & Field 1955. In 1969 he left WFU to work as service bureau director and assistant commissioner of the Atlantic • Volleyball Coast Conference for 22 years until his retirement in 1990. DEACON ATHLETICS • Deacon Club Francis' association with the ACC began as a sportswriter, and ultimately, assistant sports editor of the • Cheerleading Durham Morning Herald covering the inaugural ACC Tournament in 1954. • Deacon Newsstand • Links A 1946 graduate of Wake Forest College and a seven-year veteran of the Armed Services, Francis was the • Multimedia/Radio/TV first Director of the ACC Basketball Tournament, which established standards that have been adopted by • NCAA Compliance other conferences as well as the NCAA. • On Campus • Prospective Student­ Francis, a past President of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), is an inductee of Athlete Questionnaire the USBWA Hall of Fame as well as the Helms Hall of Fame for Sports Information Directors. The Atlantic • Scoreboard Coast Conference Sports Media Association began the annual Marvin "Skeeter" Francis award in 1990 • Send a FANCard recognizing individuals for distinguished service to the ACe. In 1995, he was inducted into the Wake Forest • Sports Medicine University Sports Hall of Fame. • Strength Training • Summer Camps Statement from Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman: • Traditions When one thinks of the Atlantic Coast Conference or Wake Forest athletics, one of the first people who comes • Travel to mind is Skeeter Francis. He has been a mainstay and fixture with both organizations for nearly 50 years. • WFU Athletic His qualities were numerous, but one attribute was exceptionally clear - everyone truly loved him and Department enjoyed being around him. • www.WFU.edu • Wireless Statement from ACC Commissioner John Swofford: The Atlantic Coast Conference family is deeply saddened today with the passing of Marvin "Skeeter" Francis. As the ACC celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year, it became clear how intricately involved "Skeeter" was in the fabric of this conference since its inception in 1953. "Skeeter's" fingerprints can be found in so many areas that encompass Wake Forest, the ACC and college athletics, which is a true testament to his contributions and to the man himself. For those of us fortunate enough to know "Skeeter", his personality and his life were as rich and colorful as the multi-colored suede sports jacket he wore on special occasions. The thoughts and prayers of everyone associated with the ACC go out to his wife Ann, his son Marvin and grandson Alex.

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