BERT MCGRANE
Des Moines | Born - August 31, 1896; Died July 20, 1987
Inducted 1989 | Category: Journalist
Bert McGrane worked at the Des Moines Register for 41 years until his retirement in 1964. After spending five years as a copy editor, McGrane started a writing career that brought him national fanfare. Most of recognition came from his coverage on Golf and College Football.
He served for a short time as the Iowa Golf Association’s president.
His influence in sports journalism was recognized when in 1974 the Football Writers Association of America established The Bert McGrane Award.
“The Bert McGrane Award, symbolic of the association’s Hall of Fame, has been awarded to person who has performed great service to the organization and/or profession since 1974. McGrane is a former Des Moines, Iowa sportswriter-editor, who served as the association’s executive director from the early 1940s until 1973.” – From The Fifth Down, the online newsletter of the FWAA
The Bert McGrane Open is played annually at Willow Creek Golf Course in Des Moines. McGrane died in July of 1987 at the age of 90.
