Bud Fields, the 1997 USA Volleyball Frier recipient, shooting photos at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 13, 2020) – Arthur “Bud” Fields, the 1997 recipient of USA Volleyball’s highest honor, the Harold T. Friermood “Frier” Award, passed away on Friday at the age of 87. He is survived by Carole Fields, his wife of 63 years, son Art and daughters Cissie King and Mary Zirkle.
“USA Volleyball is saddened to learn of the passing of Bud Fields,” said USAV CEO Jamie Davis. “He helped chronicle the history of USA Volleyball through photos for several decades, leaving behind thousands of images as part of his legacy to the game. He was also a true leader in our sport having earned many accolades and recognitions throughout his lifetime. Bud will be sorely missed by the volleyball community.”
Fields served as the official photographer for USA Volleyball more than two decades from 1976 to 1997. Much of his volleyball photography work, which dates back to the 1950s, was donated to the Jim Coleman Resource Library housed at USA Volleyball’s national headquarters in Colorado Springs. Fields was chosen as a 1971 USA Volleyball George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball recipient. He was later tabbed as USA Volleyball’s Merton Kennedy/Elmer Johnson Heritage Award recipient in 2000.
Fields started to play volleyball at the Knoxville (Tenn.) YMCA in 1951. While enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at Otis Air Force Base, he continued to play volleyball at the Boston YMCA until he was discharged from the service in 1956. Following his military career, he returned to Knoxville and resumed play at the Knoxville YMCA. In 1971, Fields earned USA Volleyball All-American honorable mention in the Seniors Open.
Fields served on several USA Volleyball committees including the Leader in Volleyball Award, the All-Time Great Player Committee, the Archives Committee and Volleyball Education Foundation.
Outside of his USA Volleyball activities, Fields started the University of Tennessee men’s volleyball club team in 1967 and served as its head coach for 15 years. When the Tennessee athletic department formed a women’s athletics department, he served as the Lady Vols coach for two seasons starting in 1976.
Fields was inducted into the YMCA National Hall of Fame in 2002 for his work promoting volleyball in the YMCA chapters across the country. He is also a member of the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame.