Hall of Fame and 14-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Dick Enberg will be the keynote
speaker at The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit on Friday, Oct. 24 at DeVos
Place in Grand Rapids.
Highly regarded as one of the all-time great sports broadcasters, 2014 marked Enberg’s fifth season as the play-by-play voice of Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres. Prior to calling games for the Padres, the Michigan native worked 11 years for CBS Sports – most recently serving as a play-by-play voice for the network’s coverage of the National Football League, college basketball and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship. Enberg’s legendary sports broadcasting talents contributed to coverage of the Masters® and PGA Championship broadcasts for CBS Sports.
Enberg’s presentation will highlight an important annual night for The Ferris Foundation.
“We’re truly looking forward to hosting the 16th annual benefit for The Ferris Foundation in support of our continuing efforts to advance the mission and goals of Ferris State University by generating and managing critical private support,” said Carla Miller, executive director of The Ferris Foundation. “We are very excited to have Dick Enberg, a legendary broadcaster and bestselling author, as our keynote speaker this year. We believe his strong ties to the state of Michigan and his commitment to excellence in education make him an outstanding choice as the keynote for what will be another fabulous Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit.”
Prior to his 11 years at CBS, Enberg worked for 25 years at NBC Sports and covered numerous high-profile events, including the memorable 1979 Michigan State-vs.-Indiana State college basketball national championship game that featured future National Basketball Association legends Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird playing against each other.
Enberg began his fulltime broadcasting career in 1965 in Los Angeles as the radio and television voice of the California Angels, UCLA basketball and the Los Angeles Rams and was named California Sportscaster of the Year on four occasions.
In addition to his Emmy awards, Enberg has won nine sportscaster of the year awards, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and the Victor Award, recognizing the top sportscaster of the past 40 years. Enberg is the only person to win national Emmy awards as a sportscaster, a writer and a producer. In 2000, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Emmy. He has been inducted into the National Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame and the National Sportscaster and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Enberg has been honored with the Rozelle Award, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Gowdy Award, from the National Basketball Hall of Fame. He also has been recognized by the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
As a writer, Enberg has authored two best-selling books: Dick Enberg’s Humorous Quotes for All Occasions and his autobiography, “Oh My” – titled after his signature broadcasting catchphrase. Enberg has also written a successful one-man, one-act play, “McGuire,” highlighting the wit and wisdom of one of his colleagues, Al McGuire, who also was a legendary college basketball coach.
Enberg, who resides in San Diego with his wife, Barbara, is an alumnus of both Central Michigan University and Indiana University. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Central, Enberg earned a master’s in 1958 and a doctoral in 1962, both from IU.
This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Benefit, which supports The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Scholarship Program and Exceptional Merit Grant awards for faculty and staff. The event showcases ways that the university is impacting lives and strengthening Michigan’s future through education and outreach.
Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, initially announced as the keynote speaker for The Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit, had to pull out of his appearance due to a scheduling conflict.
The black-tie-optional Benefit begins with cocktails and a keynote reception for sponsors with Enberg at 5:30 p.m. The program begins with dinner being served at 7 p.m. and runs until 8:30 p.m. when the keynote address will be delivered.
The Foundation is in its 16th year of providing scholarship assistance to many students who might not otherwise have access to a Ferris education in addition to providing financial support for faculty study, exploration and service.