The Iowa State University athletic department is sad to
announce the passing of Harry Burrell, ISU's first sports information
director, who served Cyclone administrators, coaches and student-athletes
for more than 40 years in that capacity. He passed away in Ames Monday, at
the age of 93. A memorial service will be held for Burrell at 10:30 a.m.
Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Ames.
Burrell, the second-longest tenured SID in collegiate history (44 years),
was responsible for the sports publicity efforts throughout his five
decades of service to the Iowa State athletic department. He was the first
sports information director at Northern Iowa from 1934-41 and then SID at
Iowa State from 1941-78, excepting naval service as a gunnery officier in
the Pacific theatre during World War II. Only Temple's Al Shrier (51
years) served in his profession longer.
As one of the pioneers in the sports information field, Burrell helped
establish the guidelines for his profession and is remembered by his peers
and contemporaries as a tireless promoter of ISU athletic teams as well as
a consummate professional and a caring individual. The national athletic
media relations organization, College Sports Information Directors of
America (CoSIDA), elected Burrell into its Hall of Fame as a member of its
second class (1970).
Current PlainsCapital Fort Worth Bowl director Tom Starr succeeded Burrell
as Iowa State's sports information director in 1977. Burrell served a
short stint as an assistant to Starr to aid in the SID office's transition
after stepping aside as head SID because of University age limitation
rules.
"Harry Burrell was my mentor and I thought the world of him," Starr said.
"He was 'Mr. Iowa State,' a man that served the University well for so
many years and was so prominent among fellow SIDs. I am saddened to hear
of this loss."
"Harry was one of the all-time greats in Iowa State athletics," long-time
Des Moines Register sportswriter Buck Turnbull said. "I knew him over half
of my life, and Harry was always a great help to us as reporters, a great
man and very knowledgeable about Iowa State athletics. It was always a
pleasure to cover Iowa State games when Harry was around. He will
certainly be missed."
Some of Burrell's most memorable efforts include work with the Cyclone
football team. Burrell oversaw publicity efforts for Iowa State's
legendary "Dirty Thirty" team of 1959 as well as four ISU bowl teams in
1971, 1972, 1977 and 1978.
Ron Maly, another Des Moines Register reporter who worked with Burrell,
seconded Turnbull's feelings about Burrell.
"Harry Burrell was one of the first sports information directors I had the
fortune of meeting when I was a young sportswriter," Maly said. "Harry
knew everything there was to know about athletics at Iowa State University
and, in my opinion, was a big help to every sportswriter who contacted him
for assistance. He was an outstanding representative of the University and
he will be missed greatly from the Cyclone scene."
Burrell worked with Iowa State football coaches Ray Donels (1941-42), Mike
Michalske (1942, 1946), Abe Stuber (1947-53), Vince DiFrancesca (1954-56),
Jim Meyers (1957), Clay Stapleton (1958-67), Johnny Majors (1968-72) and
Earle Bruce (1973-78). ISU men's basketball coaches Louis Menze (1942,
1945-47), Clayton Sutherland (1948-54), Bill Strannigan (1955-59), Glen
Anderson (1960-71), Maury John (1972-74), Ken Trickey (1975-76) and Lynn
Nance (1977-78) knew Burrell as a colleague. At Iowa State, Burrell
worked for athletics directors George Veenker (1941-42, 1945), Menze
(1945-58), Gordon Chalmers (1958-66), Stapleton (1967-70) and Lou
McCullough (1971-78).
Burrell, who became a member of Iowa State's Athletic Hall of Fame in
1999, resided in Ames following his retirement in 1978. He was active
physically in his later years and could be seen almost daily on his long
morning walks on the streets of Ames through the most recent holiday
season.
Paul Morrison, a fellow CoSIDA Hall of Fame member now in his 60th season
of service at Drake University, was the Bulldogs' SID from 1945-70 and had
known Burrell for nearly six decades.
"I've lost a great friend," Morrison said. "Harry and I started about the
same time and we were good friends. He was a great professional."
In 1977, Omaha World-Herald columnist Wally Provost saluted Burrell.
"Bow ties, notes written in green ink, unflagging ambition and
enthusiasm -- these are among the trademarks by which Harry Burrell has
been known since he became Iowa State sports information director."
"Harry was already a legend in our profession when I got into the sports
information field 20 years ago," Iowa State sports information director
Tom Kroeschell said. "I was at a CoSIDA convention when (former Iowa
State head football coach) Johnny Majors talked about how lucky he was to
have Harry as his SID at Iowa State. Harry was always gracious and still
wrote historical articles for us through the 1980s. Just look at all the
different halls of fame in which he is a member. Harry was a treasure
trove of historical information and we would lean on him for the
perspective only that many years of experience could provide. Ultimately,
he was a kind man and the best possible representative of Iowa State, the
school he loved."
Harry Glenn Burrell was born Sept. 13, 1911, in Shawnee, Okla., to
Luther and Loretta (Stark) Burrell. He attended Iowa City High School and
received bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University
of Iowa. He was the first sports information director at Iowa State
Teachers College from 1934-41, and served as the publicity office for the
North Central Conference. He was sports information director at Iowa
State University from 1941 until his retirement in 1978. During World War
II, he served as a gunnery officer in the United States Navy from 1943-45.
On June 2, 1936, he married Gertrude Carper in Morrison, Ill..
"I was truly blessed to have him as a father," said son Steven Burrell.
"He was a really great person and I was fortunate to have some additional
time with him the last six months. He loved Iowa State University and the
feeling was mutual."
Burrell was a board member of the Football Writers Association of
America, Basketball Writers Association of America, Iowa Golf Association
(past president), National Foundation and Football Hall of Fame
(nominating committee), College Sports Information Directors of America
(past president and editor of the CoSIDA News-Digest) and Ames Golden
Agers. He served on the Ames Youth Committee, West Story County Red Cross
Committee, Iowa Section Amateur Athletic Union (publicity chairman), U.S.
Olympic Public Relations Committee and National AAU Publicity Committee.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Iowa Sportscasters
Association, Sigma Delta Chi, Ames Elks Lodge (past exalted ruler, state
vice president, district deputy Elks State Association) and Iowa State
Retirees Association (chair). He was public relations consultant to the
Iowa High School Athletic Association and the National Federation of State
High School Athletic Associations. He managed the Iowa Masters Golf
Tournament for 40 years.
Burrell's awards include Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, CoSida Hall of
Fame, Iowa Association of Track Coaches Hall of Fame, Iowa Golf Hall of
Fame, Iowa State Letterwinners' Athletic Hall of Fame, Catholic Youth
Organization's National Award for service to media and the nation's youth,
Iowa Daily Press Association Distinguished Service Award (1968)> , City of
Ames Distinguished Service Award (1968), Iowa High School Athletic
Directors Distinguished Service Award for outstanding contribution to high
school athletics, Special Citation from the Iowa State University student
body for service to Iowa State and Faculty Citation for service to Iowa
State.
He is survived by his wife Gertrude; a son Colonel (Ret.) Steven K.
Burrell and his wife Jeanie of Greenback, Tenn.; three grandchildren:
Kelly Multach and her husband Jeffrey of San Antonio, Texas; Amy
Burrell-Tichy and her husband Guy of Streamwood, Ill.; and Tim Burrell and
his wife Amy, of Coon Rapids, Minn.; seven great-grandchildren: Nicholas
and Adam Multach; Joseph and Katherine Tichy; and Madison, Lauren, and
Erin Burrell; and daughter-in-law Joan Burrell of Ames. He was preceded
in death by his parents and a sister, Helen Raber.