Media
Wayne Raguse
Year Inducted: 1991
Category: Media
Schools / Organizations: Kankakee High School, Kankakee Daily Journal, City News Bureau, Chicago Daily News, Southern Illinois University, Southern Illinoisan, Danville Commercial News, Rockford Morning Star, Peoria Journal Star
Biography: Wayne Raguse’s first taste of sports journalism came as a sophomore at Kankakee High School working for the newspaper and yearbook, providing statistics for the Kankakee Daily Journal and stringing for the City News Bureau and the Chicago Daily News. That gave Raguse more than 40 years in his chosen profession. Raguse was forced to sit through No.1 Kankakee’s 83 – 74 loss to LaGrange in the 1953 Joliet sectional in what was considered one of the all time great matchups in state tourney series history. Raguse was a manager for the previously undefeated Kays after playing two previous years. Raguse expanded his love and knowledge of high school basketball while attending Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Carbondale HS had Attucks, Pinkneyville had Duster Thomas as coach, Mt Vernon and Herron were powers and twice a week Raguse watched a game. He worked on the school newspaper and part time at the Southern Illinoisan.
Following his time at SIU, Raguse worked evenings filling out Herb Jannusch’s staff at the Kankakee Daily Journal before serving in the sports department at the Danville Commercial News under Fowler Connell from 1964 – 1968. Raguse moved to the Rockford Morning Star under former SIU classmate Rick Tally in 1968. Raguse moved to his position at the Peoria Journal Star in 1972. He has covered state tournament basketball in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana along with NBA championships in Milwaukee and pro basketball, football and baseball in Chicago and St Louis. Find him a high school coach to talk basketball with and he is in his glory. Raguse, who lives in Metamora, has done the capsules for everyone inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame 1974-1991.
Wayne Raguse died on January 1, 2000 at the age of 63.