John
DeCamp began his journalism career as a paper boy for the Kendallville News Sun. While earning his electrical engineering degree at Purdue University, he was a student announcer as a sophomore at WBAA, Indiana’s first broadcast station. His broadcasting career began there as Program Director in 1946. From 1960-75 he was Station Manager of WBAA, and then he was named Director of Sports Promotions for the Purdue Athletic Department. John retired from that position in 1986. For 43 years, DeCamp was the “Voice of Purdue,” doing play-by-play for Boilermaker basketball and football. In 1957, he was a supporting member of the Indianapolis 500 Radio Network. Then in 1964, he gained a speaking role on the network as Chief Statistician. DeCamp served in this role through the 1988 Indianapolis 500, having worked for the race-day world-wide network for 32 years. In 1971, he was named “Sportscaster of the Year” by the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In 1974, he was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was recognized as a Charter Member of the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, and was also inducted into the Purdue University Sports Hall of Fame. DeCamp died December 5, 2003.