23 Facts About Tom Carnegie

Tom Carnegie, born Carl Lee Kenagy, was an American radio and television broadcaster, public-address announcer, sports columnist, documentary filmmaker, and educator from Norwalk, Connecticut.

Tom Carnegie was sports director for WRTV television in Indianapolis for thirty-two years, and broadcast the Indiana high school boys' basketball tournament for twenty-four years.

Tom Carnegie excelled in several sports, including football and basketball, but baseball was his favorite.

Tom Carnegie continued to use the on-air name for the remainder of his broadcasting career, but he never changed it to his legal name.

At the Fort Wayne station Tom Carnegie worked as a staff announcer, covered sporting events, including broadcasts of Fort Wayne Pistons games, and did a few comedy programs before taking a job in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 1945 Tom Carnegie moved to Indianapolis, where he became sports director at WIRE radio.

In 1953 Tom Carnegie became sports director for WFBM-TV, later known as WRTV, in Indianapolis.

Tom Carnegie remained at the station for thirty-two years, retiring in 1985.

Tom Carnegie retired from WRTV in 1985, but continued his work at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until 2006.

Tom Carnegie was the public-address announcer for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1946 until his retirement in 2006.

At that time Tom Carnegie, who knew nothing about auto racing, had no advance preparation for the event.

Tom Carnegie was on hand to witness many Speedway firsts including the debut in 1977 of Janet Guthrie, the first woman driver at the Indianapolis 500-mile race, and the introduction of NASCAR events at the Speedway with the debut of the Brickyard 400 in 1994, among others.

Tom Carnegie retired from his work at the Speedway in 2006.

Tom Carnegie was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2006.

Tom Carnegie's later acknowledged his all-time favorite sporting event broadcasts were the 1954,1955, and 1956 Indiana high school boys' basketball tournaments.

Tom Carnegie was the game announcer for the 1954 tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus, where the Milan High School team upset Muncie Central High School to win the state championship.

Tom Carnegie was the announcer for Crispus Attucks High School's back-to-back wins in 1955 and 1956 with future Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

Tom Carnegie began teaching in 1949, chaired the school's radio department, and directed its radio station, WAJC, until his departure in 1953 to become sports director for WFBM television in Indianapolis.

Tom Carnegie made a brief appearance in the film Hoosiers, where he portrayed the announcer for the film's climactic championship game.

The scenes were shot on location at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Butler campus in Indianapolis, where Tom Carnegie announced Milan High School's upset of Muncie Central in the 1954 state championship game.

Tom Carnegie helped establish the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, Indiana; it is the only statewide basketball hall of fame in the United States with a permanent facility.

Tom Carnegie assisted in launching New Castle's annual Hall of Fame Classic basketball game.

Tom Carnegie recalled that the 1973 race was the "most emotionally shattering" for him.