This fund was established 2013 by Linda McEwen in honor of her late husband, Tom to support a scholarship to a junior or senior majoring in journalism with a concentration in sports journalism at the University of Florida.

Tom was born in 1923 in Wauchula, FL. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1944. Tom received his degree in absentia due to WWII, serving as a platoon leader with the U.S. Army’s 785th Tank Battalion.

For nearly five decades, Tom was regarded the most influential voice in the Tampa Bay sports community. He was The Tampa Tribune’s sports editor and columnist from 1962 to 2001.

Tom passed away in 201