Murray Olderman facts for kids

Murray Olderman (March 27, 1922 – June 10, 2020) was an American sports cartoonist and writer. He was known for his amazing drawings that went along with his sports stories. His artwork was even used by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can see his art displayed there, often above the special busts of famous football players. The Hall of Fame has made all his artwork digital, so visitors can explore it on electronic screens.

Early Life and Education

Murray Olderman was born in Manhattan, New York. His parents were immigrants from Russia. From a young age, Murray wanted to be a sportswriter. When he was a teenager, he wrote sports columns for a local newspaper. He taught himself how to draw cartoons by practicing a lot.

One of his first drawings was published in The Columbia Missourian. This happened while he was studying at the University of Missouri. Murray went on to earn degrees from the University of Missouri, Stanford University, and Northwestern University. He studied journalism and humanities.

Career as a Sports Artist and Writer

Murray Olderman started his career as a sports cartoonist for McClatchy Newspapers in Sacramento.

For more than 35 years, Murray's work appeared in 750 daily newspapers. His columns and cartoons were shared by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). This was a big news service. Murray started working for the NEA in 1952. He became their sports editor in 1964 and later an executive editor. He "retired" in 1987 but kept working until the news service was bought by a larger company.

Murray Olderman also created some important awards and teams. He founded the Jim Thorpe Trophy. This award is given to the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player. He also started the NEA's All-Pro team in 1955. This team was special because Murray would ask NFL players themselves to pick the best players. Other publications usually based their choices on what writers thought.

Awards and Recognition

Murray Olderman received many awards for his work. He won the National Cartoonist Society Sports Cartoon Award twice, in 1974 and 1978.

In 1979, he received the Pro Football Writers Association Dick McCann Memorial Award. This award is like being recognized in the writer's part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Murray was also added to the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1997, he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was also honored by Northwestern University in 2014.

Murray Olderman lived for a long time in Rancho Mirage, California. He passed away there on June 10, 2020.

Books Written by Murray Olderman

Murray Olderman wrote several books, often combining his writing with his amazing sketches.

• The Pro Quarterbacks (1967)
• The Running Backs (1969)
• The Defenders (1980)
• Starr: My Life in Football, with Bart Starr (1987)
• Mingling With Lions: The Greats of Sports Up Close (2004) — This book shares Murray's memories of famous sports figures he met. It includes many of his sketches.
• Angels in the Forest (2006) — This is a memoir written with Earl Greif. It tells the story of Earl's survival during a very difficult time in World War II.
• Just Win, Baby—the Al Davis Story (2012) — This book is a biography about Al Davis, who owned the Oakland Raiders.
• A Year Apart... Letters from War-Torn Europe (2013) — This book is based on letters Murray wrote to his wife from Europe at the end of World War II.
• The Draw of Sport (2017) — This book features cartoons and sketches of over 150 famous sports figures. Each drawing comes with an essay by Murray, sharing his memories of them.