Harry Gordon, one of the greatest war correspondents, sports writers and newspaper editors of his generation, died in January 2015, aged 89.

Gordon joined Sydney's Daily Telegraph as a copy boy at the age of 16. In his 20s he was a war correspondent in Korea and Algeria. He later became editor of the Sun News-Pictorial and then editor-in-chief of the Herald and Weekly Times and Queensland Newspapers. He was also a chairman of Australian Associated Press (AAP). After the Korean War, Gordon was sent to cover his first Olympic games, in Helsinki in 1952. That began a lifelong engagement with the Olympic movement and a number of books that recorded the “golden era” of Australian Olympic sport in the 1950s and 60s. The last of his 15 books, From Athens With Pride, was published in 2014.

Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said Gordon had earned the respect of many people throughout Australia and around the world for his support for the Olympic movement. Gordon was also the historian of his beloved Hawthorn Football Club.

He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Victorian Media Hall of Fame in 2013. He was a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George and a Member of the Order of Australia.

After Harry's death a new national prize, the Harry Gordon Australian Sports Journalist of the Year Award, was established. It recognises excellence in sports reporting across all media platforms and all sporting codes in Australia.

The winner receives a $10,000 prize, a certificate and recognition for their achievement. The prize is provided by the Melbourne Press Club with the support of Virgin Australia. The award is presented at the annual Quill Awards dinner in March.