William Melvin "Bill" Libby (November 14, 1927 – June 17, 1984) was an American writer and biographer best known for books on sports including 65 on sports figures.

Early years Libby graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, also attended by several notable authors including Kurt Vonnegut. He served in the United States Navy from September 1945 to October 1948. He attended Indiana University from 1948 to 1951. Libby was sports editor of the Herald Statesman then later worked for the New York Post.

Works Libby wrote several books on sports figures including Rod Carew, Wilt Chamberlain, Phil Esposito, A. J. Foyt, Catfish Hunter, Fred Lynn, Rocky Marciano, Pete Rose, O. J. Simpson, Willie Stargell, and Fran Tarkenton as well as books on hockey, auto racing, professional football, and college football.

He also co-wrote several books on celebrities and sports people including Nancy Reagan, the Roosevelt family, Rick Barry, Vida Blue, Monty Hall, Richard Petty, John Roseboro, Nolan Ryan, and Jerry West.

Libby national champions Libby's 1975 book Champions of College Football selected a single college football national champion from the 1900 to 1974 college football seasons. As the highest level of college football does not have an official national champion, Libby's selections are often referenced by the athletic department of the selected university.

Six of Libby's champions, for the years (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1931, 1936), were not selected for that year as national champion by any NCAA-designated "major selector".

Season Champion Record Coach 1900 Yale 12–0 Malcolm McBride 1901 Michigan 11–0 Fielding H. Yost 1902 Michigan 11–0 Fielding H. Yost 1903 Princeton 11–0 Art Hillebrand 1904 Minnesota 13–0 Henry Williams 1905 Chicago 10–0 Amos Alonzo Stagg 1906 Princeton 9–0–1 William Roper 1907 Yale 9–0–1 William F. Knox 1908 Penn 11–0–1 Sol Metzger 1909 Yale 10–0 Howard Jones 1910 † Washington 6–0 Gil Dobie 1911 † Carlisle 11–1 Glenn "Pop" Warner 1912 Harvard 9–0 Percy Haughton 1913 † Notre Dame 7–0 Jesse Harper 1914 Illinois 7–0 Robert Zuppke 1915 Pittsburgh 8–0 Glenn "Pop" Warner 1916 Army 9–0 Charles Daly 1917 Georgia Tech 9–0 John Heisman 1918 Pittsburgh 4–1 Glenn "Pop" Warner 1919 Notre Dame 9–0 Knute Rockne 1920 California 9–0 Andy Smith 1921 Iowa 7–0 Howard Jones 1922 Cornell 8–0 Gil Dobie 1923 Illinois 8–0 Robert Zuppke 1924 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne 1925 Alabama 10–0 Wallace Wade 1926 Navy 9–0–1 Bill Ingram 1927 Texas A&M 8–0–1 Dana X. Bible 1928 Georgia Tech 10–0 William Alexander 1929 † Tulane 9–0 Bernie Bierman 1930 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne 1931 † Tennessee 9–0–1 Robert Neyland 1932 USC 10–0 Howard Jones 1933 Princeton 9–0 Fritz Crisler 1934 Alabama 10–0 Frank Thomas 1935 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman 1936 † Northwestern 7–1 Pappy Waldorf 1937 Pittsburgh 9–0–1 Jock Sutherland 1938 Tennessee 11–0 Robert Neyland 1939 Texas A&M 11–0 Homer Norton 1940 Stanford 10–0 Clark Shaughnessy 1941 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman 1942 Georgia 11–1 Wally Butts 1943 Notre Dame 9–1 Frank Leahy 1944 Army 9–0 Earl Blaik 1945 Army 9–0 Earl Blaik 1946 Notre Dame 8–0–1 Frank Leahy 1947 Michigan 10–0 Fritz Crisler 1948 Michigan 9–0 Bennie Oosterbaan 1949 Notre Dame 10–0 Frank Leahy 1950 Kentucky 11–1 Paul "Bear" Bryant 1951 Maryland 10–0 Jim Tatum 1952 Michigan State 9–0 Biggie Munn 1953 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Frank Leahy 1954 UCLA 9–0 Henry Sanders 1955 Oklahoma 11–0 Bud Wilkinson 1956 Oklahoma 10–0 Bud Wilkinson 1957 Auburn 10–0 Ralph Jordan 1958 LSU 11–0 Paul Dietzel 1959 Syracuse 11–0 Ben Schwartzwalder 1960 Ole Miss 10–0–1 Johnny Vaught 1961 Alabama 11–0 Paul "Bear" Bryant 1962 USC 11–0 John McKay 1963 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal 1964 Arkansas 11–0 Frank Broyles 1965 Michigan State 10–1 Duffy Daugherty 1966 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Ara Parseghian 1967 USC 10–1 John McKay 1968 Ohio State 10–0 Woody Hayes 1969 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal 1970 Nebraska 11–0–1 Bob Devaney 1971 Nebraska 13–0 Bob Devaney 1972 USC 12–0 John McKay 1973 Notre Dame 11–0 Ara Parseghian 1974 Oklahoma 11–0 Barry Switzer

† Champion not selected by any NCAA-designated "major selector".

Awards In 1964, Libby was named National Magazine Sportswriter of the Year. He was named to the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Family Libby and wife Sharon had two daughters, Allyson and Laurie Libby.

See also Bill Libby Memorial Award College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS

References