Jack Venables ’56, Bill Akers ’67

Jack Venables and Bill Akers have served Pioneer athletics as a team for decades. Venables took over the public address announcer job from Rick Metzker in 1970, and in 1980 he became public address announcer for both men’s and women’s basketball. Akers began to work in the press box at football games in 1976, operating the game clock and assisting with spotting the players. After a couple of years, Akers was asked to also work during basketball games; he stepped down from this position after the 2008 season.

In addition to their work in these positions, Venables and Akers have served Lewis & Clark in a number of other roles. Venables is an active board member of the Albany Society and acts as their master of ceremonies for the spring induction. Since 1976, Akers has been a member of the Pioneer Athletic Club, serving on the executive committee since 1980.