Shirley Lewis Povich (July 15, 1905 – June 4, 1998) was an American sportswriter and columnist who spent his entire 1923-1988 career with The Washington Post.

Povich joined the Post as a reporter in 1923 during his second year as a Georgetown University student, and in 1925 was named Editor of Sports.

Then-Vice President Richard Nixon once told Post publisher Phil Graham: "Shirley Povich is the only reason I read your newspaper.

"[2] He celebrated his retirement in 1973, but continued to write more than 500 pieces and cover the World Series for the Post.

[4] He recalled in his autobiography that "Shirley" was a common name for boys where he came from, but many who read his column thought Povich was a woman; in jest, Walter Cronkite even proposed marriage to "her."

"Most important, the center will serve as a launching pad for students to learn, actively participate in and develop the journalistic skills they need to meet the challenges facing them as the next generation of sports journalists", said George Solomon, the former Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor for Sports who would become the Center's director.

[9] He was fond of giving Louisville Slugger baseball bats as birthday presents to his friends' children.