William H. "Bill" Millsaps, Jr. has been named winner of the 2011 Red Smith Award, presented annually by the Associated Press Sports Editors to a person who has made "major contributions to sports journalism."
The Red Smith Award is the highest sports journalism award in the country. The selection committee consists of the current and former presidents of APSE and former Red Smith Award recipients.
Millsaps, who spent most of his career at the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, will be honored June 24 during APSE's summer conference in Boston.
Millsaps is a past president of APSE (1980-81) and of the United States Basketball Writers Association. He is a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame, the USBWA Hall of Fame and the media wing of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He is also an 11-time winner of the Virginia sports writer of the year award.
He is a native of Daisy, Tenn. He attended the University of Tennessee, worked at the Knoxville Journal for three years and joined The Times-Dispatch as a sports reporter in September of 1966. He was named associate sports editor in 1972, executive sports editor in 1973 and sports editor in 1977.
After leaving sports at The Times-Dispatch, he was managing editor of the paper for two years before being named vice-president and executive editor. In 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2002, The Times-Dispatch won the Virginia Press Association's highest honor for public service and journalistic integrity.
A list of previous Red Smith Award winners can be seen here.
