Inductees

Bill Althaus loved sports as a student at Truman High School in Independence. He liked watching them, being around them. Most of his friends were athletes.

But, in his words, there was just one problem.

“I was the most unathletic student at Truman,” he said.

Althaus quickly found a way to be a part of the sports world – journalism.

With the encouragement of journalism teacher Ron Clemons, Althaus began writing for the Truman High newspaper, one of the top high school publications in the country.

What followed has been a 40-plus year journalism career that has seen Althaus cover everything from prep sports to the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals while cementing himself in the sports scene in and around Independence.

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly honored that career by inducting Althaus into the Class of 2025.

“I’m proud of the trust and friendships I have enjoyed over the years,” Althaus said. “I have so many friends who are younger than me, and that’s because I met them in high school and have maintained that friendship for years.”

After graduating from Northwest Missouri State University, Althaus began his career as a weekend sports anchor at KQTV in St. Joseph. Three years later, he joined the staff at the Kansas City Kansan and was there until 1982. That’s when he joined the sports desk at the Independence Examiner, where he stayed until he retired in January of this year.

“It’s an honor to have been a part of the Independence prep high school and professional sports scene for decades,” he said. “I now cover prep players who are sons and grandsons and daughters and granddaughters of players I covered in the early 1980s.”

Althaus is a lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and past Kansas City chapter BBQAA president. Among his numerous awards are the 1987 UPI Midwest Columnist of the Year, 1990 UPI Midwest Columnist of the Year, 2002 Missouri Press Association Class 1 Feature Writer of the Year, 2006 Simone Award/Gordon Docking Media Personality of the Year, 2010 Missouri Press Association Class 1 Feature Writer of the Year, 2011 Missouri Press Association Class 1 Columnist of the Year, 2012 Missouri Press Association Class 1 Feature Writer of the Year, 2012 Missouri Press Association Class 1 special action honoree, and many more.

Althaus looks back on all of that success and is reminded of Clemons.

“He is that one teacher every student should have,” he said. “He helped push me to be the best I could be in the world of journalism, and his friendship over the years is something I treasure.”

Althaus has been there for nearly every big moment in Kansas City sports over the past four decades. He has covered four Royals World Series appearances, the arrival of Patrick Mahomes and the ascent of the Chiefs dynasty, the 1988 University of Kansas basketball national championship run and more.

He also points out the 2012-2013 back-to-back Blue Springs High School football and track state championship seasons and covering a certain future MLB star as highlights.

“Watching future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols star for the Fort Osage High School and Hi-Boy Drive In/Post 340 American Legion teams was special,” he said. “He did things I had never seen a high school player accomplish on the field.”

He covered it all in a way that was fair and helped his subjects feel comfortable enough to share their stories with him.

“It all starts with trust,” he said. “I have gained the trust and earned the respect of high school coaches, players and their parents. They feel comfortable talking to me. Over more than 40 years, I never had an issue with an amateur or professional player.”

Royals Hall of Fame second baseman Frank White even asked Althaus to help him write his autobiography, “One Man’s Dream,” in 2012.

Above all, Althaus said, he hopes his work has honored his family – his wife, Stacy, and their two sons, Zach and Sean, both of whom are members of the Grain Valley High School Hall of Fame, where Althaus joined them in 2014. Zach was the first state medalist in Grain Valley history and went on to a successful collegiate career at Rockhurst University.

“For 43 years I have been married to my wife Stacy, and she has been my support system, my confidant and the love of my life,” he said. “My family has always been there to support me.”