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." This award is presented annually to an Illinois broadcaster who is recognized by the IBA Board of Directors as having achieved a lifetime of excellence in broadcasting.