A mild-mannered, soft-spoken, diminutive man, once described by a friend, Bob Reilly, as being "psychopathically polite," Frank Graham was recognized in his day as one of the finest sportswriters: a consummate reporter, a master of precise prose, and the man who revolutionized his profession through his unsurpassed talent with the conversational sports column. Few have ever approached his ability to reproduce the talk of the dugouts, clubhouses, and locker rooms of sport; none have created more artful material from casual, behind-the-scenes banter. Graham never intruded upon the scenes he described, instead stepping out of the picture while letting the story unfold. He crafted consistently fine columns without ever taking notes, relying on a faultless memory, a talent he characteristically downplayed. Graham was widely liked and respected both within and outside the sporting world and sportswriting fraternity.

Frank Graham was born on 12 November 1893 in the East Harlem borough of...