Collie Nicholson

Sport: Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism

Induction Year: 1990

University: Grambling

After serving as a correspondent and photographer with the Marine Corps in the Pacific in World War II, Nicholson enrolled at Grambling. After graduating in1948 he became the school’s first sports information director, a job he held for more than 30 years. He started sending out press releases nationwide chronicling the exploits of College Football Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson and all Tigers athletic teams.

Soon Grambling was being called the Black Notre Dame and Robinson went on to break the national record for collegiate victories. Nicholson, as much a promoter as he was an SID, also played a major role in Grambling’s negotiations in New York with the Urban League and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to play a “Classic” game in Yankee Stadium. The 1971 game against Morgan State drew 64,000 fans and paved the way for Grambling to play in big arenas in other northern cities. Nicholson also helped Grambling schedule games in Hawaii and Japan. After leaving Grambling, he moved to Shreveport and worked in advertising with Jackson, Nicholson and Associates and later did publicity for the Southwestern Athletic Conference and boxing promoter Don King.