Add Penfield
Encyclopedia
Add Penfield
a pioneer in North Carolina sports radio, was the original radio "Voice of the Blue Devils".
A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Penfield moved to North Carolina to become a Duke University
student in 1938. At the behest of famed Duke football coach Wallace Wade, the Atlantic Radio Network gave Penfield the opportunity to broadcast games while he was still a student. It was the beginning of a career in radio that spanned eight decades.
Penfield graduated from Duke University
in 1940. After a two-year duty with Army radio, he served in a number of diverse radio markets before receiving the call to return to Duke in 1952.
He was the "Voice of the Duke Blue Devils" from 1952 to 1976. Bob Harris
served as his color commentator and the two broadcast both Duke football
and Duke basketball
men's basketball games. Facing health problems, Penfield retired in 1976 and was succeeded by Harris, who became the new "Voice of the Blue Devils
". Now on his 35th year, Harris has become synonymous with the moniker. Still, Harris credits Penfield for leading the way: “He has been a beacon for all of us in the broadcast industry.”
Penfield was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
a pioneer in North Carolina sports radio, was the original radio "Voice of the Blue Devils".
A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Penfield moved to North Carolina to become a Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
student in 1938. At the behest of famed Duke football coach Wallace Wade, the Atlantic Radio Network gave Penfield the opportunity to broadcast games while he was still a student. It was the beginning of a career in radio that spanned eight decades.
Penfield graduated from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1940. After a two-year duty with Army radio, he served in a number of diverse radio markets before receiving the call to return to Duke in 1952.
He was the "Voice of the Duke Blue Devils" from 1952 to 1976. Bob Harris
Bob Harris
Bob Harris may refer to:In sport:* Bob Harris , American baseball player* Robert Harris , Scottish footballerIn TV and radio:...
served as his color commentator and the two broadcast both Duke football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Duke basketball
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
men's basketball games. Facing health problems, Penfield retired in 1976 and was succeeded by Harris, who became the new "Voice of the Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
". Now on his 35th year, Harris has become synonymous with the moniker. Still, Harris credits Penfield for leading the way: “He has been a beacon for all of us in the broadcast industry.”
Penfield was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
External links
- Obituary http://pughfuneralhome.com/obituary_view/73109
- Duke tribute: "Former Voice of the Blue Devils Add Penfield Passes Away"http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204939857
- North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Entry http://www.ncshof.org/inductees_detail.php?i_recid=156