Ted Lewis

Sport: Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism

Induction Year: 2010

University: LSUTulaneUniversity of New Orleans

Induction Year: 2010

Lewis, an institution at two different Louisiana papers, joined the Monroe News-Star-World staff in 1973 and was there 10 years, the last three as prep editor, before joining the staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune for a 27-year run that continues. During that time, he served as prep editor for eight years and has also handled beats as wide-ranging as LSU, Tulane, UNO, the Saints, the Sugar Bowl, the NCAA, women’s sports and Olympic sports among others, and is currently with the paper’s St. Tammany Bureau.

A former president, vice president and secretary of the LSWA, he was a 1996 winner of the organization’s highest internal honor, the Mac Russo Award, recognizing major contributions to the progress and ideals of the LSWA.

Lewis has served on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame committee since its inception in 1983, and has been an innovator with guidelines for selection and his advocacy of groundbreaking candidates, including women and Negro Leagues baseball greats.  From 1958-83, the LSWA members attending the group’s annual convention voted to choose Hall of Fame inductees, a process that Lewis refined with his recommendation to create a geographically-balanced selection committee representing each area of the state.

A year earlier, he also proposed creation of the Distinguished Service Award to honor journalists whose career contributions dramatically impacted the state’s sports scene.

He worked at the Lexington (Tenn.) Progress, the Jackson (Tenn.) Sun and the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald before coming to Monroe.