Where are they now: Dave Smith, president 1974-1976 Oct. 17, 2009
Q. When were you APSE president?
A. I was the first president and served two years -
- 1974-75 and 1975-76.
As a little history, in case many are not familiar, I came up with the idea of APSE in 1974. The reason was that I was familiar with APME and ASNE and knew what their purposes were. So I figured, with sports so critical to newspaper success driving circulation, etc, should sports editors not share ideas, discuss issues such as ethics, credential problems, locker room access, etc.
With the approval and support of Boston Globe editor Tom Winship, I approached Earl Cox of Louisville, Wayne Fuson of Indianapolis and Bill Millsaps of Richmond. They were excited by idea and so we approached AP sports editor Wick Temple for the AP endorsement. Wick was given approval of the AP to use AP as the basis of the organization and we were under way.
Q. What was your best memory of APSE?
A. The first APSE convention in New York. I guess there were maybe 50 plus in attendance. This was the organizational meeting at what was the City Squire Hotel. One of the items on this very first agenda was a “code of ethics” presented by Earl Cox. What a controversial start. When the code was discussed and one of the recommendations was that sports departments could not longer accept free tickets to games, the sports editor of the New York Post said “No way!” and walked out. [For many years] the paper never joined APSE.
Q. What was the highlight of your time as a sports editor?
A. Winning the Red Smith Award.
Q. What would you do differently today as a sports editor?
A. Give writers more freedom.
Q. What advice do you have for current sports editors?
A. Keep thinking totally out of the box.
Q. What is your current occupation?
A. Golf and volunteer work. … retired in 2004 as vice president and executive sports editor of the Dallas Morning News.
Q. Do you have any plans for the future?
A. Enjoy life.
Editor’s Note: In conjunction with APSE’s partnership with Indiana University’s National Sports Journalism Center, a new Hall of Fame will permanently honor winners of the Red Smith Award as well, secondarily, past APSE presidents. As a part of that effort to honor those who built APSE, past presidents will be invited to the 2010 convention in Salt Lake City. Leading up to the convention, past presidents will be periodically profiled here.
