Curt Gowdy
His warm, Wyoming-inflected voice narrated America's biggest games for decades, making him the trusted companion of sports fans.
1919–2006 (age 87)·American sportscaster·Birthday: July 31·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Curt Gowdy's journey from Cheyenne to the national broadcast booth defined an era of sports television. After cutting his teeth calling minor league baseball and University of Oklahoma football, he landed the Boston Red Sox radio job in 1951, his steady, descriptive style quickly making him a New England institution. NBC recognized his everyman appeal, and from the 1960s through the 1970s, Gowdy became the face of network sports, hosting or calling a staggering array of events: the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Rose Bowl (which he famously dubbed 'The Granddaddy of Them All'), the Olympics, and the AFL. Unlike many bombastic peers, Gowdy favored clarity and context, letting the game breathe. His legacy is cemented not just by his 13 Sportscaster of the Year awards, but by the generation of broadcasters he inspired and the simple feeling he gave viewers: that they were listening to a knowledgeable friend.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Curt was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Curt Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Curt's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2006Died at 87
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Served as the primary play-by-play voice for NBC Sports on a record 16 World Series and 8 Super Bowl broadcasts.
- Won the prestigious Peabody Award in 1970 for his contributions to sports broadcasting.
- Was the first sportscaster to receive the George Foster Peabody Award for his outstanding work.
- Inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1984.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished fly fisherman who hosted the outdoor show 'The American Sportsman' for many years.
The Curt Gowdy State Park in Wyoming is named in his honor.
He turned down an offer to become the Commissioner of Major League Baseball in 1969.
He called the historic 'Heidi Game' between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets in 1968.
“The best thing about sports is you never know. That's why you watch.”
