July 13, 1999

ATLANTA - Longtime Atlanta resident Kim King, known to Georgia Tech fans as "The Young Lefthander" on Tech's football radio broadcasts and an ultra-successful entrepreneur in the Atlanta area for 30 years has contracted a disease known as Multiple Myeloma. King, 53, made the announcement Monday through a release from the Georgia Tech Sports Information Office.

Multiple Myeloma is malignancy which attacks the bone marrow. Without treatment it ultimately causes failure of the bone marrow.

King's physicians, Dr. Bart Barlogie of the University of Arkansas Cancer Research Center in Little Rock and Dr.'s Thorne Winter, III and Kenneth Braunstein of Atlanta believe the disease has been detected in its early stages and, with treatment, the long-term prognosis for King's recovery is good.

"I'm very positive about the outcome of this," said King Monday. "My doctors have told me that we have identified this disease very early, and with my age and good health, the prognosis is excellent for a complete response.

"The treatment involves 3-4 months of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. But I feel good and I intend to carry a full schedule and to be full speed ahead with everything I was doing before this occurred. I'm looking forward to broadcasting the Tech games this fall and completing the Midtown project and being completely involved in all the projects and with all of organizations of which I am affiliated."

King, who is Chairman and CEO of Kim King Associates, was recently appointed by Georgia Governor Roy Barnes to be Chairman of the Board of Georgia Public Broadcasting. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Tech Foundation, the Georgia Research Alliance, the Capital City Club and the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall. King is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award Foundation and the Bobby Dodd Charities Foundation, Inc.

The early detection of King's condition was due to tests run by Dr.'s Winter and Braunstein, after King suffered a compression fracture in his back from playing golf.

King will be in his 26th year as color analyst for Georgia Tech football this fall joining Wes Durham in the announce booth. His nickname "The Young Lefthander," was given to him by the late Al Ciraldo, Tech's legendary play-by-play announcer and refers to his days as a lefthanded star quarterback for the Yellow Jackets, playing for Hall of Fame head football coach Bobby Dodd in the mid-1960's.