31 Facts About Mel Allen

Mel Allen attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of the Kappa Nu fraternity as an undergraduate.

Mel Allen graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1937.

Shortly after graduating, Mel Allen took a train to New York City for a week's vacation.

Mel Allen often did non-sports announcing such as for big band remotes, or "emceeing" game shows such as Truth or Consequences, serving as an understudy for both sportscaster Husing and newscaster Bob Trout.

Mel Allen first became a national celebrity when he ad libbed for a half-hour during the rain-delayed Vanderbilt Cup from an airplane.

Mel Allen chose Allen, his father's middle name as well as his own, and legally changed his name to Melvin Allen in 1943.

Mel Allen was used as a color commentator for CBS's radio broadcast of the 1938 World Series.

McDonald himself went back to Washington after only one season, and Mel Allen became the Yankees' and Giants' lead announcer, doing double duty for both teams because only their home games were broadcast at that time.

Mel Allen periodically recounted an anecdote that occurred during his first full season as Yankee play-by-play man.

Mel Allen was the voice of both the Yankees and the Giants until 1943, when he entered the United States Army during World War II, broadcasting on The Army Hour and Armed Forces Radio.

Mel Allen eventually called 22 World Series on radio or television, including all but one in the 17-year stretch between 1947 and 1963, and called 24 All-Star Games.

In 1952, Mel Allen was one of the first three celebrities spoofed in the just-created Mad satirical comic book.

Mel Allen's likeness was licensed by Standard Comics for a two-issue "Mel Allen's Sports Comics" series between 1949 and 1950.

Mel Allen called the second half of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, as broadcasting duties were split between Mel Allen and Pittsburgh broadcaster Bob Prince.

Mel Allen called a number of college football bowl games, including 14 Rose Bowls, two Orange Bowls, and two Sugar Bowls.

Mel Allen did radio play-by-play for the Miami Dolphins' and for the Miami Hurricanes.

Mel Allen hosted Jackpot Bowling on NBC in 1959 after Leo Durocher had left to return to major league baseball coaching, but his lack of bowling knowledge made him an unpopular host and Bud Palmer replaced him as the show's host in April.

Mel Allen narrated a film about the 1961 Maccabiah Games which took place in Israel, entitled The Sixth World Maccabiah Games.

Mel Allen contributed sportscasts to the program until the late 1960s.

Mel Allen provided voiceover narration for Fox Movietone newsreels for many years.

Years later, Mel Allen told author Curt Smith that the Yankees had fired him under pressure from the team's longtime sponsor, Ballantine Beer.

Mel Allen became Merle Harmon's partner for Milwaukee Braves games in 1965, and worked Cleveland Indians games on television in 1968.

Mel Allen announced Yankees cable telecasts on SportsChannel New York with Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, Frank Messer, and occasionally, Fran Healy.

Mel Allen remained with the Yankees' play-by-play crew until 1985 and made occasional appearances on Yankee telecasts and commercials into the late 1980s.

In 1990, Mel Allen called play-by-play for a WPIX Yankees game to officially make him baseball's first seven-decade announcer.

Mel Allen recorded the play-by-play for two computer baseball games, Tony La Russa Baseball and Old Time Baseball, which were published by Stormfront Studios.

Mel Allen used the same catch-phrase during his cameo appearances in the films The Naked Gun and Needful Things.

In 1985, Mel Allen was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame along with former Yankee partner Curt Gowdy and Chicago legend Jack Brickhouse.

Mel Allen was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.

Mel Allen died of heart failure at age 83 on June 16,1996; he had undergone open-heart surgery in 1989.

Mel Allen was buried at Temple Beth El Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut.