[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN MEMORY OF CAWOOD LEDFORD OF HARLAN, KENTUCKY (1926-2001)

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HAROLD ROGERS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 5, 2001

  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, the people of Kentucky tonight 
join me in paying our respects to the memory of a truly great American. 
Cawood Ledford died early this morning in his hometown of Harlan, 
Kentucky, at the age of 75, after fighting a courageous battle against 
cancer for several months.
  Cawood Ledford was a distinguished veteran, educator, and radio 
broadcaster who was the voice of the University of Kentucky Wildcats 
for nearly four decades. His peers and his fans alike recognized his 
outstanding talent and amazing dedication.
  He was born on April 24, 1926, the son of a Harlan coal miner. During 
World War II he served with the United States Marines and then earned a 
degree from Centre College in Danville. He returned home to be an 
English teacher at his alma mater, Hall High School and in 1951 was 
announcing high school basketball and football games for radio station 
WHLN in Harlan. Two years later, he joined Lexington radio station WLEX 
and began calling games for the University of Kentucky. After moving to 
Louisville in 1956, he continued his affiliation with UK athletics and 
remained behind the microphone until his retirement following the 1991-
92 basketball season.
  One hallmark of the broadcasting career of Cawood Ledford was his 
independence. He never pulled his punches or candy-coated the radio 
play-by-plan. If the Wildcats weren't playing up to expectations, the 
radio audience would be the first to know.
  In an interview with the Associated Press in June of 1991, Cawood 
Ledford explained that he was always single-minded about his listeners: 
``I've always felt that in broadcasting your total allegiance is to the 
person twisting the dial and giving you the courtesy of listening to 
you. Sports are the greatest drama in the world because no one knows 
what's going to happen. And it's your job to paint a word picture for 
the thousands who would love to be there but can't.''
  Cawood Ledford's broadcasting track followed the amazing arc of the 
University of Kentucky Wildcats. He was the radio voice for 17 NCAA 
Final Fours, including UK's 1958 and 1978 national championship 
seasons. In 1987, he was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of 
Fame. UK fans can look to the rafters of Rupp Arena in Lexington and 
see Cawood Ledford's name on a team jersey. He's one of the few non-
players to be recognized in this way.
  In addition to his passion for the University of Kentucky, Cawood 
Ledford is also part of the history of one of Kentucky's greatest 
sporting events--the Kentucky Derby. He called the Derby more than 15 
times for the CBS Radio Network. His call of the 1964 Kentucky Derby, 
won in the stretch by Northern Dancer, is still described as one of the 
great radio broadcasts in the history of American horse racing.
  Those broadcasters who were able to understand and tap into the power 
of the human imagination are now considered the titans of radio's 
``Golden Age''. With the careful turn of a phrase or the emphasis of a 
single word, their listeners were as instantly transported to another 
time or another place. Cawood Ledford, who was picked by his peers 
numerous times as one of the finest sports announcers in the nation, 
was blessed with the special gift.
  Those of us who vividly remember his work will have one special 
memory. For those brief moments in time when Cawood was on the air, he 
transported each of us from the mountains and the hollers, the hills 
and the valleys of Kentucky and put us in the best seat in the house. 
In our imagination, we would see the plays unfold, feel the drama of 
the competition and share in the exhilaration of victory or the 
crushing letdown that accompanied our occasional defeats.
  A private service will be held in Harlan on Sunday, and a possible 
public service is also being planned. True to his enduring commitment, 
Cawood's family has asked that instead of flowers, contributions be 
sent to the Cawood Ledford Scholarship Fund at the University of 
Kentucky.
  On behalf of all Kentuckians the world over, Mr. Speaker, please join 
me tonight in honoring the memory of this truly distinguished American.

                          ____________________