Bill Conners Jr.

His contributions to the Tulsa World and several other publications, even his own football preview, have given Bill Conners the reputation of being a man of principle and integrity. He has earned several awards, including his 1997 induction into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame.

Conners began his career at the Tulsa World, doing undergraduate work as a correspondent in Stillwater. After brief stints as sports editor of the Stillwater NewsPress and sportswriter for the Daily Oklahoman, he permanently rejoined the Tulsa World in 1952. He produced the first edition of his Football Preview in 1958, and by 1959 was named the World's Executive Sports Editor.

He earned the first of 11 Oklahoma Sportwriter of the Year awards in 1963. He was heavily involved in the coverage of OU and OSU athletics, often traveling with the teams on road games.

Conner's began writing a column entitled, "Between Halves" in 1961, which emphasized the background of the college athletic scene. He gave readers an insight into things that only influential alumni and coaches' wives had known before. In a time when coaches were hesitant to speak candidly with reporters, Conners became personal friends with many coaches including Darrell Royal, Frank Broyles, Eddie Crowder, Barry Switzer, and Eddie Sutton.

His consistent, credible and unique news gathering source strengthened his trust in coaching legends as well as his trademark for being straightforward and telling the truth without bringing malice to his subject.

Conners served as state chairman for the Heisman Trophy Selection Committee and wrote popular articles in publications such as Sports Illustrated, New York Times, Sports Magazine, College and Pro Football, Sporting News, Sports Almanac, Texas Football, Street and Smith's and Southern Living.

In 1994, he was appointed senior sports editor at the Tulsa World. Conners was also selected as one of six outstanding journalists to graduate from OSU over the past 60 years. He is the first sportswriter to be selected in this category.

Bill Conners was born July 31, 1931 in McAlester, Oklahoma and graduated from Canadian Oklahoma High School where he was an All-Conference basketball player. He graduated from OSU in 1953.