(Mar. 2, 1925–Sept. 30, 1996). Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Wayne Fuson attended Indiana State University before starting his journalistic career with the . He moved to Indianapolis in 1948 and began working for the , where he would work for the next 48 years. Starting out as a columnist, Fuson was known to be consistent, hard-working, and personable.
Fuson wrote the popular “Time Out!” column five days per week for the , commenting on the latest topics and events in both national and Hoosier sports. Such topics included his passion for high school football, the , and major golf tournaments. Famously, Fuson would start some of these columns with a “Notes scribbled on the back of…” section to discuss his thoughts on topics outside of sports. He was named the associate sports editor in 1961, before being named the paper’s sports editor just three years later.
Over the course of his career, Fuson was highly involved in the workings of his field, both at home and throughout the country. He helped found the Associated Press Sports Editors Association, the National Golf Writers Association, the Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters of America, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also a significant voice in the movement to bring professional basketball to the Circle City which culminated in the arrival of the in 1967. Fuson was named Indiana’s Sportswriter of the Year in 1964 and was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
Fuson spent over 30 years as sports editor for the , only stepping back into the role of columnist in 1995 when the and The Indianapolis News merged. He remained as a columnist at the until the day he died. His son, Rick Fuson, continued his father’s sports legacy by serving as president of the Pacers Sports and Entertainment since 2014.
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