Legendary sports information director joe f. blair is among the inductees for this year's University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame, with the ceremony to be held on Sept. 30.
blair, whose trademark lower-case initials to his name spoke of his behind-the-scenes humility, was the sports information director at Maryland from 1950 to 1962 and from 1983 until his death in 1995. In those years, he successfully publicized the Terrapins' athletics endeavors and gained the respect of student-athletes, coaches and media.
His first publicity campaigns helped the All-America candidacy of Terp football greats Shoo-Shoo Shemonski, Bob Ward and Jack Scarbath. blair later became the publicist of the Washington Redskins from 1962 through 1983 when he returned to the university.
In 1991, the third floor area of the Byrd Stadium press box was named in honor of both blair and Jack Zane. blair was honored for his career contributions with the Skeeter Francis Award by the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1993, and he received an honorary letter from the M Club in 1994.
The 2005 Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held at the campus' Inn and Conference Center on Sept. 30.