Alabama broadcaster and advertising executive Oren “Russ” Russell Chappell, Sr. passed away on July 1 at the age of 87. Chappell graduated from the University of Alabama in 1958 with a degree in broadcasting, going on to work as an on-air personality at WTBC and WJRD in Tuscaloosa during the 1960s.
He moved into advertising as an executive with Dan Kilgo & Associates, later founding the Tuscaloosa Ad Club and serving as its first president. He was later appointed governor of the American Advertising Federation’s Deep South District. In 1977, Chappell’s dedication and influence in advertising were further acknowledged when he received the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award.
Chappell also founded Group One Advertising and the Promotional Group, Inc.
However, he is remembered by most as the “Voice of the Wildcats,” where he served as the broadcaster for Tuscaloosa County High School football and basketball games for more than two decades, leaving a lasting legacy in local sports.
