Jesse Abramson
Jesse Abramson was a prominent sports journalist born on March 10, 1904, in Mountaindale, New York. He began his career at the age of nineteen, writing articles about sports for local newspapers, and he gained significant recognition during the 1924 Olympic Games in France, where he rewrote dispatches for the New York Herald-Tribune. Abramson attended every summer Olympics from 1928 until 1976, making substantial contributions as a reporter until the newspaper's closure in 1966. He also took on roles as a foreign press liaison at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and as the press liaison for the 1976 Montreal Games. Highly respected for his knowledge of track and field, college football, and boxing, his colleagues nicknamed him "the brain" for his remarkable memory of athletes. He was instrumental in founding the New York Track Writers Association and served as its president, as well as president of the New York Football Writers Association. Throughout his 56-year career, Abramson received numerous accolades, including the James J. Walker Award for boxing service, and in 1981 he became the first journalist inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. His legacy reflects a deep commitment to sports journalism and the advancement of athletic reporting.
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Subject Terms
Jesse Abramson
Sports Journalist
- Born: March 10, 1904
- Birthplace: Mountaindale, New York
- Died: June 11, 1979
Biography
Jesse Abrahamson was born on March 10, 1904, in Mountaindale, New York. Combining his early fascination for sports and writing, he began at the age of nineteen to write articles about sports events for local newspapers. In 1924, while working as a rookie at the New York Herald-Tribune, he effectively rewrote the condensed cable dispatches from the Olympic Games in France. Beginning in 1928, he attended each of the summer Olympics until 1976, and he reported the games for the Herald-Tribune until the paper’s demise in 1966. He was foreign press liaison at the Mexico Olympics in 1968 and the press liaison at Montreal in 1976.
Widely respected as one of the top journalists of track and field events, Abrahamson also was a competent reporter of college football and boxing. His colleagues called him “the brain,” because of his extraordinary memory and detailed knowledge about individual athletes. After founding the New York Track Writers Association (NYTWA), he served as its president for many years, and he was also elected president of the New York Football Writers Association. He directed the Olympic Invitational Indoor Meet from 1966 until his death on June 11, 1979.
During his fifty-six year career in sports journalism, Abrahamson was a model of competence and commitment to his profession. He was honored with numerous awards, including the James J. Walker Award for Service to Boxing, NYTWA’s Career Achievement Award, and the Sportmen Brotherhood’s Grantland Rice Award. In 1981, he became the first journalist ever elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.