Author Tom Cushman passes away at 83

University Press author and friend Tom Cushman passed away earlier this month at the age of 83. A longtime sports columnist and journalist, Tom published Muhammad Ali and the Greatest Heavyweight Generation with the University Press in 2009.

Tom Cushman was born in St. Louis in 1934. He received his BA from Southeast Missouri State University and graduated from University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. For over 40 years, he worked as a reporter for the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph (1959–1966), as reporter and eventually staff columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News (1966–1982), as Sports Editor and columnist for the San Diego Tribune (1982–1992), and as Sports Editor and columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune (1992–2002).

In his years as a sportswriter, he covered 10 Olympic Games, 25 World Series, 26 Super Bowls, 30 NCAA Final Fours, 21 Masters Golf Tournaments, 18 U.S. Open Golf Tournaments, and major professional boxing matches on four continents. He was the first writer outside New York City to receive the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism.

Tom is survived by his wife, Lois, son, Scott, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.