A native of Norfolk, Calvin Jacox served for 25 years as a columnist and later sports editor for the Journal & Guide, at one time the largest African-American publication south of Washington D.C. He is remembered as a crusader in the fight against discrimination, writing about and helping to foster Black sports and athletes before, during and after integration.
A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Jacox attended schools in Hampton and Norfolk (Virginia State College) before earning his B.S. Degree in Journalism from Lincoln University of Missouri in 1948 on an Abbot Journalism Scholarship.
As a writer, Jacox was the voice of sports for the black community in the region at a time when the daily papers did not cover the segregated Virginia Interscholastic Association in depth. His column, “From the Pressbox” was a vehicle he used to inform the community and to protest segregation and discrimination. As sports editor for 20 years, he was responsible for local, national and international coverage of amateur, collegiate and professional sports. After integration, Jacox became a treasure of information, helping to bridge the gap between the black community and the white press of the day.
Described as a “tremendous force in black sports,” Jacox signed on as public information officer at Norfolk State University in 1973 where he served for 15 years.
In 1986, he was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame. That same year the first Cal Jacox – Champ Clark Award was presented, an annual recognition given to the most outstanding sports information director from a historically black college or university.