Jack Dale (1932-2011)

The Voice of the Red Raiders has been silenced.  Jack Dale passed away yesterday, July 29, 2011.

The 79 year-old Dale was surrounded by his family at Covenant Medical Center after being admitted earlier this week.

Jack was a treasured member of the Texas Tech University and Townsquare Media families and he had lived in Lubbock since 1952.

Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance through a statement from the University said,

"Texas Tech has lost a legend. For fifty years Jack Dale's voice conveyed stories of games won and lost, and we will forever be in his debt for all of those memories. I had the pleasure to meet Jack when I was a Saddle Tramp, and I've considered him a good friend ever since. My thoughts and prayers go out to Jack's family and the entire Red Raider community."

Jack was hired by KFYO Radio in late 1952 to become the Texas Tech Red Raider Basketball play-by-play announcer in 1953.  He then started announcing Red Raider Football games in the fall of 1953 and was a part of the announcer rotation for Southwest Conference (SWC) football games for the Humble Oil Radio Network.

He continued announcing Texas Tech sports for 50 years through the end of the 2002-2003 Texas Tech Red Raider Basketball season.

Former Texas Tech Men’s Basketball Coach and Athletic Director Gerald Myers said,

“I always thought of Jack Dale as the consummate professional announcer.  He called the game.  He didn’t question the officials and he never questioned strategy.  He just called the game.

I had great respect for Jack.  We didn’t always have the best team but we always had the very best announcer.  I was always so proud to have him because he was one of the best at his job and was always 100-percent professional.

Jack was a man of high integrity and honesty and was a tremendous asset to Texas Tech Athletics.

In those days, games weren’t televised like they are now and Jack had a way of making games very real to the listeners.  He brought Texas Tech football and basketball into people’s living rooms and became a household name. I consider him a great friend and I will miss him.”

Jack also served as KFYO's Sales Manager throughout the 1960's into the early 1970's.

In 1992, on KFYO, Jack originated Lubbock's first daily sport talk program, Jack Dale's Sportsline. It aired from 5:30p-7p, weekdays and Jack was joined by his son Steve on the show.  In 1994, the show moved to 1340 KKAM and aired from 5p-7p and in October of 1996 the show moved to its current timeslot of 7a-9a as 1340 KKAM became Lubbock's first all-sports radio station.

At the end of his Texas Tech play-by-play broadcasting career, Jack was bestowed with a number of honors.  The Media Workroom at the United Spirit Arena is named the Jack Dale Press Room. A banner honoring Jack's 50 years of service to Texas Tech hangs in the United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech University also bestowed an honorary Doctorate upon Jack Dale.

Dale’s wife of 60 years, Sue Dale, died this past February. His survivors include his two sons, Steve and David and their wives Abby and Kim;  four grandchildren, Stephen, Jared, Lauren and Josh; and a great-grandchild, Kaiah.

Jack's faith in our Lord was also very strong and it helped him battle through a bout of prostate cancer in the 1990s.

He was a consummate professional who never said a cross word to anyone.

Jack Dale was the soundtrack of Football Falls and Basketball Winters for numerous Texas Tech fans across the state.

He was given an honorary doctorate from Texas Tech's Mass Communications School and inducted into the schools Mass Communications Hall of Fame.