Carl Eilenberg, 1953 Honorary
Carl Eilenberg experienced a number of careers in his lifetime, including in both the sports and political arenas. He is also known as a voice of Syracuse athletics, having worked as a broadcaster and the public address announcer at the Carrier Dome, and as a public servant, having served as the mayor of Rome, N.Y. for 12 years.
A graduate of Syracuse University, Eilenberg served as the sports director of WAER-FM for two years and then became the sports director of WAGE radio under the name 'Carl Davis,' in 1951, covering the spectrum of sports, including football, basketball, bowling, ski racing, lacrosse and golf.
After serving in the U.S. Air Forces, where he continued his love for sports as a boxing coach, Eilenberg juggled working in public relations for Syracuse Savings Bank while hosting radio shows on WFBL from 1958 through 1962, under the name of 'Peter Scott,' two of his sons. His next venture was to start his own advertising agency with Ed Herr, while he also began calling Syracuse Chiefs baseball games with Marv Albert. Eilenberg then added Syracuse Nationals basketball games to his portfolio.
Eilenberg continued his broadcasting career with the newly formed television station WNYS-TV (Channel 9), where he worked as the news and sports director before becoming the station's operations manager. Eilenberg, who worked at WNYS for seven years, hosted the station's first live television talk show with Marty Ross.
With the support of others, Eilenberg helped Syracuse University form a radio football network across the state. In 1980, he became the public address announcer for the Carrier Dome, calling football, basketball and lacrosse games, which he did for 27 years.
Eilenberg has been an active member of his community. He volunteered at WCNY-TV, hosting talk, discussion, sports and new shows, as well as broadcasting live events, including hockey, Pop Warner football, box lacrosse, high school sports, college football, bocce and polo. He has spent more than 30 years of close volunteer association with the Special Olympics. In his adopted community of Rome, he founded the Rome Sports Hall of Fame and the Roman Runners running club. He and his wife, Susan, are the creators of two weekly newspapers, the Rome Observer and the Lives and Times of Oneida County, plus a magazine, Mohawk Valley Women. Eilenberg is also an accomplished marathon runner, having completed 16 races, including the challenging Boston Marathon on five occasions.
