Chet Simmons
| Chet Simmons | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Chester Robert Simmons July 11, 1928 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 25, 2010 (aged 81) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Sports Television Executive |
| Years active | 1952–2010 |
| Known for |
ESPN United States Football League NBC Sports ABC Sports Sports Programs Inc. Dancer Fitzgerald |
Chester Robert "Chet" Simmons (July 11, 1928 – March 25, 2010) was a television executive. He worked at ABC Sports, NBC Sports and ESPN, and was the first Commissioner of the USFL. From 1957 to 1964, he helped build ABC Sports into a leader in sports programming and was a key part of the development of Wide World of Sports. He joined NBC Sports in 1964 where he stayed for 15 years becoming the first President in 1977. At NBC, he pioneered instant replay and coverage of the Olympics and NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. In 1979, he left NBC to join the soon to launch ESPN becoming its second President. At ESPN, he oversaw the launch of the Network, the development of SportsCenter, the first broadcasts of the NFL Draft, coverage of the early rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four and the development of Chris Berman, Bob Ley, George Grande, Greg Gumbel and Dick Vitale. In 1982, he became the first Commissioner of the United States Football League and led it through three Championships and players including Herschel Walker, Jim Kelly, Reggie White, Steve Young and Anthony Carter.
He is the 2005 recipient of the Sports Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award and a member of the University of Alabama College of Communications and Information Sciences Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2010.
Born in New York City on July 11, 1928, Simmons was raised in Ossining, New York and Pawtucket, Rhode Island. His father Leonard Simmons, a Polish immigrant, manufactured women's house dresses. His mother Rose "Kitty" Suffin was a first-generation American. Chet went to West High School in Pawtucket where he played baseball, football, and cards. His love for sports began when he was a child listening to Brooklyn Dodgers games on the family car's radio. After high school, he first attended George Washington University but later transferred to the University of Alabama where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in broadcasting in 1950. He went on to receive a Master of Science in television from Boston University. While in college, Simmons became a brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi. He served in the United States Coast Guard after completing his graduate studies. While in the Coast Guard, he was stationed in Cape May and was the Sports Editor of the Coast Guard's Newspaper. Following his Coast Guard assignment, he started his media career in NYC at Dancer Fitzgerald Sample the Ad Agency.
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