For longtime University of Oklahoma sports fans and Norman residents, this past week had sad news off the field. Jim Weeks, a well-regarded and respected sports editor at The Norman Transcript, died after battling Alzheimer's disease for the past several years, The Transcript reported. He was 76 years old.
Weeks starting working at The Transcript in the early 1960s and became sports editor in 1964, a post he held until his retirement in 1990. Through his quarter-century of covering OU sports, Weeks wrote on three national championship football seasons, two Heisman Trophy winners and the success of OU basketball in the '80s and wrestling in the '70s.
"He was an excellent writer, a valued employee and he did us a good job for a lot of years," Jane Bryant, former Transcript city editor and managing editor, told the paper.
A daily columnist for The Transcript, Weeks wrote his trademark "This and That" column, which came out every Thursday. The column was chock full of stats and facts, from the mundane to the surprising, enlightening readers before the days of instant information via the Internet.
"I never could repay him for what he did for me, giving me a chance and getting me started in the business," Oklahoman sports columnist Berry Tramel told The Transcript. He worked at The Transcript from 1978 to 1991. "He taught me all kinds of things about writing and editing and everything else. He was a fabulous man to work for."
The Switzer Center at the OU football stadium showcases dozens of Sooner legends who made their mark on the field. One man who made his mark off the field may deserve a Sooner legend showcase of his own.
