Bob Hersh Obituary, A Longtime Relays Supporter And Former Announcer Of Penn Relays Dies At 82

Bob Hersh Obituary, Death – Bob Hersh, a long-time Relays fan and former announcer, died on Wednesday at the age of 82, leaving the team in mourning. Hersh advanced from high school manager to official, public address announcer, writer, and administrator at some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events during his more than 60-year involvement. He had been involved with the Penn Relays in various capacities since the 1960s, and he took over announcing duties in 2002, where he thrived for seven years. “I am heartbroken by the death of a dear friend and colleague, Bob Hersh,” said Dave Johnson, former Frank Dolson Director of Penn Relays. “When I met Bob for the first time in 1974, he was already a fixture on the Penn Relays statistics row. His prominence as a journalist earned him an early nomination for the Jesse Abramson Award, which is given to an outstanding media person at the Relays.

His command of a public address system made him the only choice to replace Jack O’Reilly at the microphone in 2002, a position Bob held for seven years. Many members of the Penn Relays family knew Bob as a colleague and friend, but most Relays fans and athletes will remember his voice. After graduating from law school, Hersh began his career as the manager of his high school team in Midwood, Brooklyn, and went on to officiate at Columbia and Harvard. From 1981 to 2015, he was a member of The Athletics Congress/USA Track & Field’s Records Committee (81-88), Rules Committee (89-01), and General Counsel (89-97). Hersh served on the IAAF Technical Committee from 1984 to 1999, and on the IAAF Council from 1999 to 2015, rising to the position of Senior Vice President in 2011, the highest position held by an American in the IAAF.

He also served on several IAAF Commissions and Working Groups and served as a Technical Delegate at the Olympics and IAAF World Championships. He was awarded the IAAF Silver Order of Merit in 2015. Penn Remembers Longtime Supporter Bob Hersh’s Death Induction into the USATF Hall of Fame Bob Hersh, a long-time Relays fan and former announcer, died on Wednesday at the age of 82, leaving the team in mourning. Hersh advanced from high school manager to official, public address announcer, writer, and administrator at some of the world’s most prestigious sporting events during his more than 60-year involvement.