Sportswriter/author DWC graduation's headline speaker

(Nashua) - One of the nation's most honored and versatile writers, Frank Deford has agreed to speak at the college's May 13 Commencement Ceremony, Daniel Webster College announced last week.

Deford is an award-winning author, regular commentator on National Public Radio, senior writer at Sports Illustrated, a regular correspondent on HBO's RealSports with Bryant Gumbel, and chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where he served as the organization's national chairman for 16 years.

In addition to his commencement address to about 300 Daniel Webster graduates at the May 13 ceremony, he will also receive an honorary degree from the college.

According to DWC President Robert E. Myers, during discussions as to whom the college should invite to commencement for this honor, Deford was the unanimous choice of administrators, staff, faculty and students, who are very familiar with his work in the communications and athletics arenas.

Deford is the author of 14 books, two which have been made into movies, including one which is his memoir about his daughter who died from Cystic Fibrosis. Additionally, he's written theatrical screenplays, the latest, Four Minutes, about Roger Bannister and the four-minute mile, appeared recently as a made-for-TV movie.

As a journalist, Deford was the recipient of the National Magazine Award for profiles for his story on basketball great Bill Russell. He is a member of the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriter's Hall of Fame; was voted by his peers six times as U.S. Sportswriter of The Year; was recognized twice by The American Journalism Review as the nation's finest sportswriter; and was twice voted Magazine Writer of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review. In broadcast, Deford has won both an Emmy in 1998 for his work during the Seoul Olympics and a CableACE award in 1994 for writing the HBO sports documentary Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World. He was also recognized with the George Foster Peabody Award, was the recipient of the Christopher Award, and received journalism Honor Awards from the University of Missouri and Northeastern University.

The Sporting News described Deford as "the most influential sports voice among members of the print media," while GQ calls him "the world's best sportswriter."