Paul Manasseh

Sport: Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism

Induction Year: 1986

University: Louisiana TechLSU

Paul Manasseh may not be a famous name to the average Louisiana sports fan. But a lot of the state’s best known athletes can thank Manasseh for becoming household names themselves. The Shreveport native spent a varied career promoting athletes with an outgoing personality that could turn crusty at just the right moment. Here’s all one needs to know: the press box atop LSU’s Tiger Stadium is named the “Paul Manasseh Press Box,” a tribute, perhaps, not only to the 12 years he spent promoting the school and its athletes but for the myriad of sports journalists he tutored over the years. Manasseh was a master at both. He was once referred to as the only man in America who could make a second string quarterback into a first-team All-American, a reference to Bert Jones operating in LSU’s two-quarterback system. Along the way he tutored — and, in many cases, fed and housed — dozens and dozens who worked under him as students in the LSU sports information office and went on to prominent roles in sports journalim or administration. “One of my boys,” he’d call them in proud-papa tones at various press boxes and hospitality suites. There was little Manasseh didn’t do during a career than spanned over 40 years. After attending LSU for two years, during World War II he served in the U.S. Army’s public information office, later being assigned to the Counter Intelligence Corps. Back in Louisiana, he worked at the Shreveport Journal, the Bossier Tribune and as sports director at KWKH radio. In 1950 he became general manager of the Monroe Sports of the Cotton States League, later taking the same job with Shreveport of the Texas League. At one time he was the general manager of the Denver Bears minor league baseball team while also serving as publicity director of the original Denver Broncos in 1960, later serving as the football’s team’s assistant general manager during the AFL startup years until 1966. Eventually returning to the state, he spent one year at Louisiana Tech before moving to LSU, first as associate sports information director for three years, then taking over the department in 1971. He retired from LSU in 1983 — but not from sports. He was director of public relations for two USFL teams — the Memphis Showboats and New Orleans Breakers — and when the Breakers moved to Portland, Manasseh moved home to Shreveport as executive director of the Independence Bowl. He retired from the bowl in 1989 and moved back to Baton Rouge, although he continued to help the Sugar Bowl and write freelance columns. And watch over “his boys.”