TOM FOX: Herald of the Hustler Era

Journalist Fox fanned the flames of the 1960s pool craze, drawing the media's eye to Minnesota Fats and the legendary Johnston City tournaments.

By R.A. Dyer

Tom Fox

Those authors who have made the really important contributions to American pocket billiards - I mean, other than those writing the how-to books - easily number fewer than the balls in a 9-ball rack. There's Robert Byrne, the Hall of Famer who wrote "McGoorty." There's Walter Tevis, who wrote "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money." Some might throw in David McCumber, who gave us "Playing Off The Rail," or Ned Polsky, the sociologist behind "Hustlers, Beats & Others." And then there's one more. He's often overlooked, but I would argue that his impact on pocket billiards surpasses that of almost any other American author. His name is Tom Fox: He was a newspaper columnist, and in 1966 he wrote "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies," the autobiography of Minnesota Fats. He also wrote what might be one of the great, lost books of pocket billiards - a mysterious sort of Lost Ark of pool lore. But more on that later.

I'll say it plain. Tom Fox deserves a spot in the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. Without his writing, the 1960s pool craze may have unfolded quite differently; without his writing, it even might have petered out before it got started. Of course, Tevis' book, "The Hustler," had a much greater impact. But it was Fox who first brought the world's attention to the era's most famous player, Fats, and to the era's most famous tournaments, the Johnston City hustlers' jamborees. Like journalist John Reed, who chronicled the Russian Revolution, Fox saw it all first-hand - and his writing shook the world of pocket billiards.

A few quick facts about Fox: He stood five feet, 11 inches tall, was a bit on the portly side, had red hair, spoke with a bit of a southern twang, had a great sense of humor (but could be an awful curmudgeon), and when he wrote his first story featuring Minnesota Fats, he would have been about 40 years old. That story, "Hustlers Holiday in the Lions Den," for the Dec. 4, 1961, edition of Sports Illustrated, became arguably the single most influential news article ever written about pool. Because of it, a host of network cameras, newspaper men and magazine writers descended on the annual tournaments in Johnston City, Ill. It also forged Fox's celebrity status among the pool players and contributed to his legend among all the would-be pool writers and historians following along in his Herculean footsteps.

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Since 1978, Billiards Digest magazine has been the pool world’s best source for news, tournament coverage, player profiles, bold editorials, and advice on how to play pool. Our instructors include superstars Nick Varner and Jeanette Lee. Every issue features the pool accessories and equipment you love — pool cues, pool tables, instruction aids and more. Columnists Mike Shamos and R.A. Dyer examine legends like Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats, and dig deep into the histories of pool games like 8-ball, 9-ball and straight pool.

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