by States News Service , States News Service

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) will honor former University of Maryland Sports Information Director Herb Hartnett and three other former SIDs on Thursday, June 25 by inducting him into their inaugural "Veterans Hall of Fame."

The lunchtime ceremony will be held during CoSIDA's annual workshop being held this year in San Antonio, Texas. Hartnett served as the award-winning Sports Information Director for both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maryland, helped coordinate many NCAA events, and did media relations for the US Olympic Team twice. He was also actively involved in CoSIDA for many years.

In a press release, CoSIDA says, "Veterans Committee Hall of Fame inductees represent former sports information professionals of distinction from the past whose professional and personal deeds and accomplishments helped make possible the stature of the sports information profession today."

Hartnett recently retired as Assistant Director for Communication Projects in the Office of University Communications at the University of Maryland, but will continue his duties part-time starting this fall. "The University of Maryland is thrilled to hear that Herb has won this prestigious award," says University spokesman Millree Williams, himself a former SID. "His passion for and long-time efforts on behalf of student-athletes makes him worthy of this inaugural honor."

FROM THE COSIDA RELEASE

Hartnett was assistant sports information director at Pennsylvania from 1969-76 and director from 1977-88 before becoming SID at Maryland from 1988-96. At Penn, Hartnett was the assistant publicist for Big Five basketball at the Palestra (1969-75), assistant media director for the Penn Relays from 1969-76, and the director from 1977-88. While at Penn, he was twice selected to work with the U.S. Olympic Team as a media relations specialist, in 1980 and 1984.

Hartnett served as the media relations director for countless NCAA men's basketball tournament games as The Palestra was a regular stop on the NCAA Tournament, in addition to working three Final Fours, once as a participant in 1979 with Penn. Penn bestowed upon Hartnett what he considers his greatest honor, that of membership in the Friars, an exclusive society founded on the credo, "It's not what you're going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life." Hartnett served as the point person for two CoSIDA conventions (Philadelphia in 1982 and Washington in 1988); chaired the Ivy League sports information directors twice; and created CoSIDA's Writing Contest Committee. While at Penn and Maryland, Hartnett won 15 CoSIDA publication and writing awards, including several "Best in Nation" honors.

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