Art Kimball DISTINGUISHED MEDIA AWARD Accomplishments • His 56-year broadcasting career in radio and TV included a stop as the Sports Director at WLPO and WCMY in Ottawa as well as Carmi, Ill., and Frankfort, Ind.; also the sports director at what is now WHOI-TV in Peoria • Original host of The IHSA Sports Report, handled playby-play duties for Illinois State football and men’s basketball teams in the early 1980s and in later years was the voice for Illinois Wesleyan athletics • Longtime emcee for the annual IBCA Hall of Fame Banquet • Received the first Broadcast Pioneer Award from the Illinois Broadcasters Association in 2008
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
By Andy Tavegia
A
rt Kimball called games everywhere from Madison Square Garden to Assembly Hall to Redbird Arena. But ask his son, Steve Kimball, and you might just hear he’d much prefer the likes of Kingman Gym, Bader Gym, or Mendota gym. That’s because he felt Art had a deep connection to those in the Illinois Valley. “It makes me feel good that he’s getting recognized because that was his favorite place to work,” Steve Kimball said. “I just remember that he was really well-respected and really well-liked. And he liked the people, too, because generally speaking they were (straight shooters). And that’s how my dad spent his entire life.” In an area filled with notable media personalities, Kimball was one of the first. He spent plenty of time throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s becoming the voice of many great sports moments in either Ottawa, La Salle-Peru or Mendota. But the very first may have been his favorite. After a stint in Indiana, Kimball brought his booming
WHERE are they NOW
46 September 29, 2021 | Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame | A NewsTribune Publication
