Inductees

Mahlon R. Aldridge, Jr., also known as the“Voice of the Tigers” for 28 years, started his career as a reporter for the Jefferson City News-Tribune and by officiating basketball games in the late 1930s.  He initiated Missouri Tiger football and basketball play-by-play on KFRU in 1946, and after buying the station he started the Missouri Sports Network. Later, he became the owner of Station KFRU, in 1948. By 1970, the original five stations in the network had grown to 55, making it the largest in-state sports network in the country.

A past president of the Missouri Broadcasters Association, Aldridge has been closely associated with the School of Journalism. He has been a leader in community affairs. Aldridge is a member of the President’s Committee on National Traffic Safety and is widely known for his efforts on behalf of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Aldridge gave countless hours of his time during the off-season to travel around the state of Missouri with University of Missouri coaches and administrators to speak at community gatherings to help promote the athletic program. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame in 2009.