George F. Will, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, television commentator, bestselling author and noted Chicago Cubs fan, has been chosen for induction in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
Will, who was born in Champaign and worked for the Urbana Courier, will be honored May 16 at a gathering of the statewide organization in Chicago. His syndicated column appears in the Daily Herald.
“We look forward to recognizing George Will for his contributions to the broadcast industry as he joins the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Dick Van Dyke, Charles Gibson, Jim Belushi, Mike Wallace and many more,” said Carlos Fernandez, board chairman of the IBA.
A founding panelist of the ABC News Sunday morning program “This Week,” Will later joined Fox News on “Special Report” and “Fox News Sunday.” He most recently has been a contributor to MSNBC and NBC News.
Said Dennis Lyle, president and CEO of the IBA: “I’ve long admired George not only for his profound insight into the political landscape of our country, but for his remarkable knowledge of baseball as well.”
The author of Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball and A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred among many other books, Will most recently wrote The Conservative Sensibility, set to be published in June.
As the 61st inductee in the IBA Hall of Fame, Will joins a pantheon of broadcast journalism legends, including Dave Garroway, Paul Harvey, Frank Reynolds, Bill Plante, Ann Compton, Harry Smith, Bill Kurtis, Orion Samuelson and Chris Bury. Other inductees include Jack Benny, Orson Welles, Joan Rivers, Dick Biondi, Larry Lujack, Clark Weber, Don Cornelius and Siskel & Ebert.
After the Hall of Fame ceremony, Will is traveling to Springfield to receive the Order of Lincoln — the state’s highest honor — from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.