John F. Kieran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John F. Kieran (August 2, 1892 - December 10, 1981) was an American sportswriter and naturalist. Born in New York City, in 1915 he began writing for The New York Times on the sports desk and went on to work for several newspapers in New York City. In 1938 he began a 12-year stint as one of the panelist on the radio program Information Please and later hosted two television series. A dedicated birdwatcher and observer of the natural world, endowed with a breezy, colloquial writing style, Kieran roamed the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx at a time when development was encroaching on formerly natural areas. His 1959 book A Natural History of New York City is still read today for its keen observations of birds, reptiles, geography, fish "in troubled waters," and mammals within the city limits. Kieran's books include The Story of the Olympic Games, The American Sporting Scene, Footnotes on Nature, and John James Audubon (with Margaret Kieran).
Kieran is credited with coining the term Grand Slam in tennis. He died in 1981.
