Christopher Eugene Schenkel
Biography
Born in Bippus, Indiana. Married to Fran Page with a daughter and two sons. Graduate of Purdue University in 1943. Served in Army during Korean War.
Sportscaster after 1947 when he reported on Harvard football games. Sportscaster with ABC including Olympic coverage and "Wide World of Sports." Honored as National Sportscaster of the Year in 1963, 1964, 1967 and 1967. Inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 1981. Other honors include the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame and the PBA Hall of Fame.
Schenkel worked on behalf of Jim Thorpe in a campaign to restore the medals awarded for the 1912 Olympics. Chief John R. Thorpe, son of Jim, named Schenkel an honorary Sac and Fox Chief in 1986.
He found an Indian arrowhead on his family farrn when he was five years old. This started a lifelong interest in American Indians. Schenkel assembled an important collection of Indian Peace Medals. They were sold at auction by Bowers and Merena November 12-14, 1990. He died in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
bio: WWA 80-84
DOB:SSDI
obit: CW 10/3/05
Source credit: Pete Smith, American Numismatic Biographies
Bio Snapshot
Date of Birth: 1923 - Aug - 21Place of Birth: Bippus, Indiana
Date of Death: 2005 - Nov - 11