Tribute from William C. Friday, Founding Co-Chairman of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics:
“Creed Black was one of those newspaper men who profoundly believed that a free and productive press was the essential and primary force to sustain our democracy. As a civic and foundation leader, he kept his experienced eye on the needy and the less fortunate, always believing in the primacy of adequate education for all of our people. His founding leadership of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics caused major colleges and universities once again to redefine and reassert the mission and purpose of higher education in our country.
His was the good life; a life of service and public commitment. Through it all was his abiding sense of good humor and good will toward each of us. We shall greatly miss this noble spirit.”
Tribute from Alberto Ibargüen, President & CEO, James S. & John L. Knight Foundation:
“Creed Black, editor and newspaper publisher and the former president of Knight Foundation, has passed away. He was a courageous journalist who will be remembered at Knight Foundation as a leader, in the field of intercollegiate athletics as a visionary and in our hearts as a great friend.
A graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Creed was a reporter or editor in Paducah (Ky.), the U. S. Army’s Stars & Stripes, Nashville, Savannah, Wilmington, (Del.), Chicago and Philadelphia. His career was long and distinguished but perhaps never so remarkable as when he was editor and publisher of the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, where he set standards for courage and investigative journalism. He was the embodiment of the journalistic ideal of a full, accurate, contextual search for truth.
When he left Lexington, he assumed the presidency of Knight Foundation. Over his ten years of leadership, he helped strengthen communities and journalism by professionalizing and creating a national presence for our foundation. …” For more, link here.