Vince Lloyd (Skaff) - Inducted 2001
Born June 1, 1917, in Beresford. 1935 Beresford HS grad. 1940 Yankton College grad. One of the Midwest's most well-known sports announcers, primarily at WGN in Chicago. He began his broadcasting career in Sioux City with KTRI before going to WJBC in Bloomington, Ill., and WMBD in Peoria, Ill. After serving in the Marine Corps during World War II, he returned to WMBD as sports editor, broadcasting Illinois University football games, Bradley University basketball contests and area semi-pro baseball games. In September, 1949, Lloyd went to WGN and WGN-TV in Chicago, where he covered sports for 38 years from baseball to football to basketball, almost without a break. For years Lloyd, Lou Boudreau and Jack Brickhouse covered Chicago sports on radio and TV. Lloyd was known as "The Voice For All Seasons." The Cubs management also referred to Lloyd as "The Voice of Summer." In the summer of 1994, Lloyd, Boudreau and Brickhouse were reunited for a day to celebrate Wrigley Field's 80th birthday. Lloyd also filled in that summer for 10 games for Harry Caray, who was recovering from an accident. Chicago sportswriter Tim Cronin said Lloyd was fantastic. "He always had excitement in his voice. There always was passion, not so much for the outcome of the game, as for his love of the event being broadcast." Cronin called Lloyd "The Pro's Pro" a man with a God-given baritone voice. One of Lloyd's great memories was one Sunday covering Sandy Koufax pitching a perfect game. In 1961, Lloyd interviewed President John F. Kennedy on TV (the first president to be interviewed live on TV at a ballgame). Lloyd covered Big Ten and Chicago Bears football games, was the voice of the Chicago Bulls for eight years and televised pro wrestling for several years in Chicago. Lloyd was good friends with George Halas, Sid Luckman, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Mike Ditka and Walter Payton of the Bears and DePaul basketball coach Ray Meyer, among others. He can relate close observations about Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Casey Stengel, Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Gil Hodges, Ted Williams, Sandy Koufax and a host of other sports celebrities.
