'''Max Falkenstien (April_9, 1924-)''' is one of the most recognizable voices in all of collegiate sports history. In his sixty year career at the University_of_Kansas (1946-2006), Falkenstien has covered over 1,750 men's Basketball games and 650 men's football games — a span that included every game played in historic Allen_Fieldhouse until his retirement and was one of the longest announcing tenures in sports. By comparison, Vin_Scully's 55 years with the Los_Angeles_Dodgers is the record for longest broadcasting tenure with a single club in all of Professional_sports. ==Early life and career== *Edith and Earl were his parents' names. Earl was business manager of the KU athletic department for 33 years. *Falkenstien's biology class at Liberty Memorial High School trooped over to KFKU, then KU's 50-watt radio station, in the early 1940's. "Each of us had to make some kind of comment -- it must have been a boring show," Falkenstien reflected, "and a lady came up to me afterward and asked me if wanted to be in radio because I had such a clear voice." *His first job in radio was at WREN, then a Lawrence radio station. "A guy named Earl Bratten gave me some news copy to read and I got the job," Falkenstien said. He worked before and after school and on weekends, usually 40 hours a week, and earned $90 a month. "The first time I ever went on the air was a Sunday morning to give a promo for an Eleanor Roosevelt broadcast," Falkenstien said, smiling. "It was just a 30-second plug, but I was so scared when that red light came on." *Falkenstien graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1942, six months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After a semester at KU, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in hopes of becoming a meteorologist. He left the service in March 1946. *After leaving the service, he went back to work for WREN. His first assignment was to do the play-by-play for the NCAA district final game between KU and Oklahoma A&M; (now Oklahoma State University). *Credited with founding the KU Sports Network not long after World War II ended, Falkenstien quickly gave up the network because he really wasn't interested in earning a living as a play-by-play broadcaster. He was program and station manager of WREN radio from 1955 until 1967, when he had a falling out with the station's owner, former Kansas Governor Alf_Landon. He then became the head of news and sports at WIBW radio and television from 1967 to 1970. After a one-year stint as the first general manager of Sunflower Cablevision, Falkenstien spent 23 years at Douglas County Bank, retiring as a senior vice president in December 1994. *Falkenstien has a degree in mathematics (Kansas, '48) ==Final Home Broadcast== Falkenstien's final broadcast in Allen_Fieldhouse came on March 1, 2006, in the last home game of Kansas' 2006 Basketball season. The game, which Kansas won, 75-54, was played against the Colorado_Buffaloes. Falkenstien was honored in a special halftime ceremony, which included his family, friends, some former KU players, and a speech from his on-air partner of 22 years, Bob Davis. Athletic Director Lew Perkins presented Falkenstien with a Bronze Jayhawk to commemorate his long years of service to the University_of_Kansas. His name and "number" (60), were also hung on a banner in Allen Fieldhouse with those of the other great players that have played for KU. This retirement ceremony made Falkenstien the 27th KU basketball person so honored by the University, and the first non-Athlete. This game was also held on Kansas' senior night, which honored senior players Christian Moody, Jeff Hawkins, Moulaye Niang, and Stephen Vinson in a post-game ceremony. ==Final Broadcast== The last broadcast of Falkenstien's sixtieth season came on March 17, 2006, in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seed Jayhawks lost the game, 77-73, to the thirteenth-seed Bradley Braves of the Missouri Valley Conference. The last football broadcast of Falkenstien's career came in the 2006 Fort Worth Bowl, as Kansas defeated the Houston Cougars 42-13. ==Accolades== *1995: Inducted, College Athletics Hall of Fame *1996: Winner, College Football Hall of Fame's Chris Schenkel Award. ''The award, named for legendary college football announcer Chris_Schenkel, is given annually to a college football broadcaster who has excelled in his field and contributed to his community.http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=663'' *2001: Kansas_Sports_Hall_of_Fame; named "Best College Radio Personality" by The_Sporting_News. *2004: 15th Recipient of the Curt_Gowdy Media Award, given by the Naismith_Memorial_Basketball_Hall_of_Fame in recognition of excellence in electronic and print sports reporting. *Member, Beta_Theta_Pi (Alpha Nu chapter) ==Trivia== *Falkenstien's wife is named Isobel. *Max's first broadcast was a KU Football game against TCU in 1947. ==News== *Max's speech during his final game in Allen Fieldhouse *Max has "jersey" retired during halftime, 1 March 2006 *Voice of Jayhawks Still Clear - article by Chuck Woodling of the Lawrence Journal-World, Tuesday, August 22, 1995 *Honest, Max Set Standard - article by Bill Mayer of the Lawrence Journal-World, Saturday, 4 March 2006 *KUSports.com News Page devoted to Max Falkenstien -- located on www.kusports.com and updated as news becomes available pertaining to Mr. Falkenstien Falkenstien, Max Falkenstien, Max Falkenstien, Max Falkenstien, Max