21 Facts About Francis Rosa

Francis James Rosa was an American sports journalist.

Francis Rosa worked for The Boston Globe from 1949 to 1991, became the paper's morning sports editor in 1966, and helped build it into a leading sports publisher.

Francis Rosa covered the Boston Bruins during their Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972, and was considered "one of the family" by team general manager Harry Sinden.

Francis James Rosa was born on November 7,1920, in Boston, to Charles Rosa and Eustachia Calamaria.

Francis Rosa's father was a barber, and both parents were immigrants from Italy.

Francis Rosa was the youngest child of five, was a paperboy as a youth, and began working with The Boston Globe as a copy boy in the sports department prior to World War II.

Francis Rosa served in the United States Army during the war and was promoted to sergeant in 1943.

Francis Rosa's promotion was covered in a story in The Boston Globe, which noted he was assigned to write about the completion of the Alaska Highway for an army publication.

Francis Rosa worked part-time at The Boston Globe as a student, and wrote a story in July 1948 about Ted Williams telephoning best wishes to a dying Babe Ruth.

Francis Rosa began working full-time with The Boston Globe in 1949, where he spent the remainder of his journalism career.

Francis Rosa was named sports editor of the morning edition of The Boston Globe in March 1966.

Francis Rosa returned to a reporting role by the 1970s, covered the Boston Bruins championships of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals and the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals, and traveled with the team during the season.

Francis Rosa was among the first reporters in the 1980s to use a computer for writing instead of a typewriter.

Francis Rosa served as president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from 1981 to 1985.

Francis Rosa received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987, in recognition of his hockey journalism as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.

Francis Rosa had received the Eastern College Athletic Conference Media Award prior to 1987.

Francis Rosa retired from The Boston Globe in August 1991.

Boston Bruins general manager Harry Sinden spoke about Francis Rosa stating, "He became one of the family".

Journalist Kevin Dupont wrote that Francis Rosa built relationships with athletes and gained their trust and respect.

Francis Rosa described Rosa as "a man with a keen sense of how to take his work seriously, write with accuracy, clarity, and style, and with no ego or self-importance".

Francis Rosa was the father of three boys and one daughter.