PHILADELPHIA – The Penn Relays staff has heavy hearts as we heard of the passing of long-time supporter and former Relays announcer, Bob Hersh, on Wednesday at the age of 82.
 
Hersh went from being a high school manager to some of the top events of international sport, serving as an official, public address announcer, writer, and administrator during his more than 60 years of involvement.
 
He was a staple in the Penn Relays family since the 1960s in various capacities and stepped in on the announcing duties in 2002 where he flourished for seven years.
 
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of a dear friend and colleague, Bob Hersh," said previous longtime Frank Dolson Director of Penn Relays Dave Johnson. "I first met Bob in 1974, and he was already a fixture on the stats row at Penn Relays. His stature as a journalist made him an early recipient of the Relays' Jesse Abramson Award, presented to an outstanding media person. His authoritative command of a public address system made him the only choice to succeed Jack O'Reilly on the microphone in 2002, a position Bob held for seven years. Many people in the Penn Relays family have known Bob as a colleague and friend, but most fans and athletes will remember the voice from the Relays and many other major meets."
 
Starting out as the manager of his high school team (Midwood, Brooklyn NY), Hersh performed the same duties at Columbia University and then moved into officiating after law school at Harvard. He played a critical role in The Athletics Congress/USA Track & Field as Records Committee chair (81-88), Rules Committee chair (89-01) and General Counsel (89-97) and was a Board member from 1981-2015.

Hersh was a member of the IAAF Technical Committee from 1984-1999 and was an IAAF Council member from 1999-2015, rising to Senior Vice President in 2011, the highest IAAF position ever held by an American. He also served on numerous IAAF Commissions and Working Groups and was a Technical Delegate at the Olympics and IAAF World Championship events. He was awarded the IAAF Silver Order of Merit in 2015.

As PA announcer for six Olympic Games and nine World Championships, Hersh was the English language voice of international track and field athletics for a generation. He also announced at a multitude of major U.S meets. He was named USATF's Giegengack Award winner in 1997 and twice received President's Awards.
 
When it comes to his announcing experiences, some of Hersh's standout moments included the 1991 World Championships men's long jump, in which Mike Powell broke the world record and beat Carl Lewis, and Columbia's 4x800m win at the 2007 Penn Relays.
 
"He will be missed greatly, and our sympathies go out to his wonderfully supporting wife, Louise, and to their family," Johnson continued.
 
 
From his Q&A interview with USATF after being named to the National Hall of Fame:
 
How did you get started with track and field?
When I was a kid, I was a very avid baseball fan. I grew up living two blocks from Ebbets Field, the home of the old Brooklyn Dodgers, and I went there all the time. When I was 12 years old, a good friend suggested that I might like track and field, so my father took me to a track meet at Madison Square Garden, and I just went nuts. I couldn't believe it. I really thought this is the greatest sport in the world. A couple years after that, I was able to go into the city to meets at the Garden on my own and I became a regular there.
 
I knew that I was not a particularly talented athlete, so I became the student manager of my high school track team and then I did the same thing in college at Columbia. After law school, I came back to New York and got more and more involved with the sport.
 
What achievement are you most proud of in your career in track and field?
The first time I was asked to announce the Olympic Games, I was very, very proud of that. And I continued to be proud of the fact that that over the course of a couple of decades, I was the voice of international track and field at the highest levels. I announced six Olympic Games, nine World Championships, and many, many other international and domestic meets.
 
Another thing that I was very proud of was that in the 1980s I developed the USA/Mobil Indoor Grand Prix. That was a program that brought together the meets on the North American indoor circuit, and there were more than a dozen of them at that time. I designed the Grand Prix, I wrote the rules, and I was the scorer and administrator; they actually at one point gave me the title of Commissioner. (He was known to his friends as "Commish" forever after!)
 
Was there one moment that stands out for you in your announcing career?
Yes, it's the 2007 Penn Relays 4x800 meters relay. I was on the microphone, and much to my surprise, and everybody else's surprise, Columbia (Bob's alma mater) won the race. They came from behind at the end and beat teams like Michigan, Villanova and Georgetown; there were some very strong track powers in the race. Nobody expected Columbia to win it. They came up at the end and I just shouted "Columbia!"
 
It was one time when I was sorry I was on the microphone because I had to keep my composure. What I really wanted to do was start jumping up and down and screaming. But I had to let the crowd subside for a few moments, and then come up with things to say. If people ask me what's the greatest track race I've ever seen, that's what immediately comes to mind.