Accomplishments in the sports world by Tennesseans have not been confined only to the field, the court, or the diamond. Some of the great individuals in Tennessee sporting history have been sportswriters. Bob Wilson is one of those individuals. During his thirty-six years of writing for the “Knoxville News-Sentinel”, Wilson touched on just about every subject in the varied arena of American sports. He followed University of Tennessee football during some lean years and some great years. Wilson’s true sports love, however, was baseball. He organized and promoted amateur baseball leagues under the sponsorship of his paper, and he was for years official scorer for the Knoxville Smokies professional baseball team. He has been called the “father of organized amateur baseball in the Knoxville area.” Wilson turned to newspaper writing in 1921 when the old “Knoxville News” began publication, serving in the dual role of police reporter and sportswriter. When the “News” bought out the “Knoxville Sentinel” in 1926 and combined the two papers into the “News-Sentinel”, Wilson became sports editor of the new publication. He retained that position until he was stricken with cancer and was no longer able to work regularly. At that time, he was named associate sports editor, a title he held until his death in 1958. Bob Wilson’s natural ability, hard work, and intense interest and devotion to sports made for a first-rate sportswriter and editor who will always be appreciated and remembered in Knoxville.
