If you have attended the Partlow Insurance Sports Breakfast over the years, you will know that Ken Mease cherished the opportunity to visit and participate in the Shenandoah Apple Blossom. Ken began attending the Festival in 1999 where he emceed the Sports Breakfast. There were only two years between 1999 and 2017 where he was not able to participate in our annual celebration. In addition to emceeing the Sports Breakfast, Ken spoke at the Festival’s Ladies Horticultural Luncheon and served as the Court Ambassador for the Coronation of Queen Shenandoah. In 2018, the Festival recognized Ken by presenting him with a life pass to the sports breakfast. Ken returned to celebrate the Festival with us in 2019 but did not emcee the breakfast that year. Ken loves the Festival and continually went out of his way to support the Festival in many ways.
Ken Mease has had a tremendous career in sports television and radio in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region of the US for over five decades.
Ken grew up in Selinsgrove, PA and graduated from Selinsgrove Area Joint High School in 1960. In high school, Mease played basketball and baseball, was band president and served as Lt. Governor and International Trustee in Key Club International. After graduating from high school, Ken attended Susquehanna University from 1960 to 1964. During college, Mease worked part-time for WKOK-AM-FM as a disc jockey, news, and sports reporter.
In 1963, Ken worked for WUNS-AM in Lewisburg, PA as an announcer and color commentator for Bucknell University Football for their ’64 and ’65 seasons.
Ken joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard in 1965 where he completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. He attended tech school as a communications specialist at Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX. Ken completed his Guard commitment in 1971.
Between 1965 and 1975, Ken continued his work in communications at radio and television stations in Harrisburg, PA, Charlotte, NC, Pittsburgh, PA, and Providence, RI. While in Providence, Mease anchored sports six days a week and was recognized in 1973 with the Rhode Island Sportscaster of the Year award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
In 1975, Ken served as Director of Athletics for Robert Morris College (now University.) Ken was instrumental in the University’s leap from junior college status to NCAA Division I. Ken did play-by-play of Colonials basketball for three seasons, coached the school’s basketball team for one season. While at Robert Morris, Mease laid the groundwork for the school’s Sports Management program.
In 1979, Ken went back to news television as a sports anchor and weekday reporter in Pittsburgh, PA. Ken was awarded two Golden Quill Awards (the Pittsburgh Emmy) for the “Steeler Monday” sports feature.
From 1986 to 2003, Ken was the sports anchor and reporter for WUSA-TV in Washington, DC. Ken primarily worked as the station’s weekend sports anchor with weekday reporting duties. Ken covered Sunday night sports specials including Redskin shows. Mease also freelanced where he covered Navy Football radio and George Mason TV basketball play-by-play.
From 2003 to 2010, Mease joined CBS-Westwood One Sports Radiosportscasting including Redskins post game.
In 2010 Ken joined the Washington Freedom, an American professional women’s soccer club in Germantown, Maryland.
Rodney Cowley will accept the award on behalf of Ken Mease.
