Halls of Fame

Gerald Boyd – 2009

Gerald Boyd’s first job was bagging groceries at Cooper’s Grocery in St. Louis, but he rose to the position of managing editor of the New York Times. Gerald began working at the Post-Dispatch in 1973 after graduating from the MU Journalism School and was a co-founder of the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists. By 1978 Boyd was at the paper’s Washington bureau, and five years after that he joined the Times’ bureau in Washington. The National Association of Black Journalists named him “journalist of the year” in 2001, a year after he’d been promoted to managing editor at the Times. He was leader or co-leader of Times coverage that won nine Pulitzer Prizes. When Boyd left the Times, the paper’s executive editor wrote: “He left behind a great reservoir of respect and affection.”

Bob Broeg – 2006

It seemed to many that Bob Broeg was around for the very beginnings of baseball. His exposure to the sport began officially at Sportsman’s Park, where he could be found working at one of the gates. He turned his interest into a career, writing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, finally achieving the rank of Sports Editor, and was a member of the Baseball Veterans’ Hall of Fame Committee. After covering the Cardinals for 13 seasons until 1958, Broeg spent the next 20 years as sports editor, and as a columnist for both the Post and The Sporting News. He also authored countless books, including such baseball classics as The Pilot Light and the Gas House Gang and Super Stars of Baseball. He is credited with coining the nickname “Stan the Man” for his favorite player, Stan Musial.

Bob Burnes – 2006

Bob Burnes, known as “The Benchwarmer,” wrote for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat for 51 years. From his hiring in 1945 to his retirement in 1986, Burnes wrote over 15,000 articles for his sports column, eventually becoming the Globe’s sports editor. His near-photographic memory of games he had covered served him well later when he premiered on KMOX radio in 1953 and became the first host of their Sports Open Line program. Burnes’ unabashed support for St. Louis was embraced by his fans, and he was honored by the Gateway Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society with the creation of its “Bob Burnes Spirit of St. Louis Award,” given regularly to the person who has dedicated years of service toward excellence and the celebration of sports in St. Louis.

Joseph Charless – 2008

Joseph Charless was a native of Ireland who came to St. Louis in 1808. A successful businessman, he became publisher of the Missouri Gazette, the first newspaper west of the Mississippi River. The newspaper was literally produced at first in a log cabin. With the first issue appearing July 1, 1808, the paper had 174 subscribers and part of it was printed in French in an effort to appeal to the city’s majority population (80%). As part of his effort to reach the community, Charless would barter for subscriptions, taking meat, vegetables and even flour as payment. His Missouri Gazette operated for over a century under different names.