Though perhaps best known for his outdoor writing, Jack Ehresman covered many high school, college and professional sports events during his 43-year career at the Journal Star.

A graduate of East Peoria High and Bradley(1954), he began working full time at the newspaper in 1953. He retired in 1997.

His early assignments included the Peoria Chiefs when they played at Woodruff Field in the 1950s and prep sports. Later he covered Northwestern and Notre Dame football, Bradley basketball under Chuck Orsborn, and whatever came up on the sports calendar.

Jack became Outdoor Sports Editor in 1967 and turned out columns for thirty years.

During those years he authored more than 7,500 stories and columns, becoming well-known throughout the Midwest. Ehresman became widely respected among his peers. He was invited to sit on a variety of state and national boards dealing with various environment issues.

His writings won numerous awards. For many years he was a trustee for the nationally respected Ducks Unlimited. Upon his retirement in 1997, Jack chose to continue that relationship. He is a charter member of the Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame.