AROUND THE QUADS
Athletics' Bill Steinman Retires (Sort of)

In this archival photo, Bill Steinman types the football play-by-play sheet for the media in the Baker Field press box. COURTESY DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

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Bill Steinman, a mainstay of Columbia’s Athletics Department for more than three decades, officially retired on August 15 as senior associate director of athletic communications. But that doesn’t mean you won’t see him at Baker Field or Levien Gym — Steinman continues to put his vast knowledge of Columbia sports to good use as a consultant to the athletic communications office.

“Bill is the corporate memory for Columbia athletics,” said Athletics Director John Reeves. “He is not leaving us, thank goodness. We simply have created a new, mutually beneficial relationship. I will continue to turn to Bill daily for information that no one else has, and for advice.”

Steinman, a Hewlett Harbor, N.Y., native, joined Columbia in 1970 as a sports information assistant after graduating from Hofstra a year earlier. He had been the chief student assistant in Hofstra’s sports information office as well as a statistician for the ABA’s New York Nets and the Atlantic Coast Football League. “I love sports information,” said Steinman. “It seemed like a pretty good idea in college. Then I said, ‘Hey, I can get paid for this,’ and went to work full-time for Columbia.”

Steinman was named Columbia’s director of sports information in 1984, after working as assistant director for 14 years. He has served as an ambassador for the Lions, creating hundreds of media guides and supplying results and stories to countless media members. Steinman has seen the athletics department grow from 15 men’s programs to its announced offering of 29 sports for the men and women of Columbia and Barnard, with the pending addition of Columbia’s women’s golf in the 2003–04 academic year.

CCT Editor Alex Sachare ’71 said of Steinman, “Bill was a tremendous resource when I was sports editor of Spectator in 1970 and 1971, and he has been just as valuable since I returned to Columbia as editor of CCT in 1998. For media covering the Lions, he has been the go-to guy for the past three decades, and it would be hard to think of a Columbia sports event without him.”

Fortunately, that won’t be necessary. Steinman will continue to work with Columbia on a reduced schedule so as to lessen some of the stress that contributed to recent health problems, some of which triggered his retirement. He will be present at numerous events, including announcing wrestling meets, and will continue to play a part in the annual Varsity C dinner.

Steinman’s excellence and dedication have been recognized by his professional peers. He was awarded the Irving T. Marsh Award by the ECAC Sports Information Directors Association in 2000 for contributions to, and excellence in, the field of collegiate sports information. Additionally, he was honored with the Elmore “Scoop” Hudgens Sports Information Director Award from the All-American Football Foundation in 2000 and the Distinguished Service Award in 1999 from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association. In 1995, Steinman was recognized with a 25-year award by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

L.P.