Broadcast Pioneer Elmo Ellis Receives Hugo Black Award At The University Of Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ­ The University of Alabama has named Elmo Israel Ellis the recipient of the Hugo Black Award ­ the highest individual accolade bestowed by the University.

The award honors the memory of Black, the former United States Supreme Court Justice and 1906 graduate of the University. Given in recognition of a recipient’s high moral and intellectual qualities, as well as demonstrated service and personal attainment on a national or international level, this year’s award marks only the fifth time the University has presented the award, since its 1978 creation.

“The Hugo Black Award, which honors the name and spirit of another Capstone alumnus and one of America’s great champions of law and individual rights, is the highest honor presented by The University of Alabama,” said UA President Andrew Sorensen.

“Elmo Israel Ellis embodies the full spirit of this unique honor through the dedication he has shown to his community, university and profession,” Sorensen said. “He has been a priceless asset for, and supportive friend of, The University of Alabama, and we are happy to have this opportunity to show him our loyal gratitude.”

A 1940 graduate of the University, Ellis holds the distinction of being the only student to ever serve as editor of three student publications ­ UA’s student newspaper, the “Crimson White,” the annual student yearbook, “Corolla,” and the now defunct humor magazine, Rammer Jammer.

In 1993, Ellis was named an Outstanding Alumnus at UA, and in 1999, the University’s College of Communication and Information Sciences (C&IS) inducted Ellis into its Communication Hall of Fame, where he joined his cousin, Mel Allen, the famed “Voice of the New York Yankees.”

After serving in World War II, Ellis began his media career working in New York, writing and producing network radio programs. Two years later, he became the inaugural broadcaster for WSB-TV, the first television station in the South. There, Ellis created news and discussion format programs, as well as dramatic shows.

But with radio quickly being overtaken by the rising popularity of television, and media experts proclaiming a stranglehold on radio by the newest medium, Ellis turned his attention to WSB’s radio operations. There, he fostered a community of listeners and personable entertainers who offered news, sports, weather, music, and a variety of other programming options, which would turn WSB Radio into “the Voice of the South,” claiming 75 percent of metro Atlanta listeners at the peak of its revival.

“Through WSB Radio, Elmo Ellis transformed Atlanta into a virtual neighborhood long before the Internet ushered in the virtual revolution,” said Dr. E. Culpepper Clark, dean of UA’s College of Communication & Information Sciences. “The neighborhood he created helped Atlanta embrace the winds of social change that swept the South in the fifties and sixties. It is now hard to imagine Atlanta’s progressive spirit without the influence of Elmo Ellis. He was to broadcasting what Ralph McGill was to newspapers–a conscience.”

Ellis served WSB for more than 35 years, revolutionizing the format for radio broadcasting. He developed reporter coverage of live events, 24-hour news and weather and other popular radio programming. Additionally, Ellis taught one of the country’s first television production courses at Emory University, as well as several radio and television classes at Georgia State University. Georgia Trend magazine recently named Ellis as one of the Top 100 Georgians of the Century.

He has written numerous books, including “The Youthful Option: How to Stop Growing Old and Stay Young for the Rest of Your Life,” and the fifth edition of “Opportunities in Broadcasting Careers.” But probably his most influential piece of literature ­ a booklet titled “170 Ways to get the Rust out of the Radio” ­ explored and outlined radio survival techniques in an age of increasing television dominance.

A gifted motivational speaker and broadcasting consultant, Ellis has devoted much of his life to public service on the boards of more than two dozen charities and philanthropic institutions, including the board of visitors at UA’s College of Communication & Information Sciences. Additionally, he helped create the Elmo I. Ellis Visiting Professional in Residence in C&IS, whereby distinguished professionals and practitioners visit the College and share their expertise with the faculty and students.

Note: Since its inception in 1978, only five individuals have received the Hugo Black Award ­ U.S. Rep. Claude Pepper, (D-Fla.); former University of Notre Dame president Theodore Hesburgh; biologist Ruth Patrick; attorney Joseph Peeler and broadcast pioneer Elmo I. Ellis.