Born December 17, 1922 in Athens, Illinois, Vincent T. Wasilewski would become the 18th President of the National Association of Broadcasters in January 1965. Wasilewski entered the University Of Illinois College Of Engineering in 1940, but World War II would interrupt his studies. He served in the US Air Force from September 1942 until October 1945, and returned to the University at the close of the war. He switched to political science and received his bachelor's degree in 1948, followed by a degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence the following year. Wasilewski joined the NAB's legal staff in 1949, where he spent his entire professional career. Like any true broadcaster, Wasilewski was no stranger to public service, having served on the Board of Directors of the Advertising Council, the Advisory Council on Federal Reports and the American Advertising Federation. 

The IBA inducted Wasilewski into its Hall of Fame in 1976. In his honor, the IBA renamed its "Broadcaster of the Year Award" in 1989, as the "Vincent T. Wasilewski Award." The award was created to honor those Illinois broadcasters who exhibit the same passion and dedication to this industry as Wasilewski did.  Honorees are recognized for broadcast excellence with their Illinois station(s) and within the broadcast industry as a whole, for the respect they receive from their peers both on a local market and national level, and for their work to achieve a favorable legislative climate for the broadcast industry.

Vincent T. Wasilewski Award Recipients

Dan Calibrano, 1985

Charlie Wright, 1986

Red Quinlan, 1987

Guy Main, 1988

Ward Quaal, 1989

August Meyer, 1990

Gene Dybvig, 1991

Wayne Vriesman, 1992

Bill Hansen, 1993

Merrill Lindsay, 1994

Joe Bonansinga, 1995

Gene Robinson, 1996

Shelby Harbison, 1997

Fritz Frederick, 1998

Jack Everette, 1999

Thomas Oakley, 2000

Tom Land, 2001

HaywardTalley, 2002

T.J. Vaughan, 2003

 Russ Withers, 2005

Red Pitcher, 2006

Marv Dyson, 2007

Leo Henning, 2008

Bayard “Bud” Walters, 2009

Geoff Neuhoff, 2010

Perry Sook, 2011

Ralph T. Oakley, 2012 

Drew Horowitz, 2013

Emily Barr, 2014

Larry Nelson, 2015

Elizabeth (Beth) Neuhoff, 2016

Larry Wert, 2017