GRANVILLE, Ohio (April 23, 2024) – James Clear '08, a baseball standout as an undergraduate at Denison University who is now a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and speaker who is best known for his work on habits, behavior change, and decision-making, is among four Class of 2024 inductees into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Hall of Fame. This is a prestigious honor reserved for individuals who were named Academic All-Americans during their collegiate athletic careers, have achieved career success professionally and are committed to philanthropic causes.

Clear is one of four members of the 2024 Academic All-America® Hall of Fame class. He is joined in this year's class by Steve Harter, an acclaimed offensive lineman and wrestler at the University of Mount Union who went on to help create over 25 companies at Notre Capital Ventures that have generated more than seven billion dollars in revenue; Stacy Lewis, a four-time All-American and individual NCAA national champion golfer at the University of Arkansas who has gone on to compete and win major championships on the LPGA Tour; and Andrew Luck, a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up and one of the most highly touted college quarterbacks during his time at Stanford, he went on to become the first overall draft pick in the 2012 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he played for seven seasons.

"It is an honor and a surprise to be selected for the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame," spoke Clear. "This award belongs to our team more than me. Once a pitcher releases the ball, the outcome of the play depends on his teammates. I was fortunate to have wonderful teammates to rely on. They have been there for me not only on the baseball field, but also in life."

Clear will become the second former Big Red student-athlete to be inducted into the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Hall of Fame, joining Dr. Grant Jones '88, who was one of five members of the 17th Academic All-America® Hall of Fame class that was inducted in 2015.

Denison University is one of the leaders in Division III Academic All-America® selections, with 115 total honorees entering 2023-24. The 49th athlete form Denison to receive Academic All-America® honors was Clear, who was a second-team Academic All-American in 2008 as a pitcher on the Denison baseball team. Clear tied for the team-lead in wins with six and posted a career-best 3.33 earned run average in 11 starts while helping Denison to the 2008 North Coast Athletic Conference West Division crown and a 27-18 record. Clear left Denison ranked fifth in career victories (15), third in appearances (52), fourth in innings pitched (200.1) and eighth in strikeouts (138). He was a second-team All-NCAC selection in 2007 and was one of seven recipients of the Denison Presidential Medal which is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior at Denison University. He was named Denison's 2008 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and boasted a 3.80 grade point average while majoring in biomechanics.

Clear graduated from Denison and then ventured into writing and public speaking. In 2012, he first began writing about self-improvement. His debut book, Atomic Habits, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide in multiple languages. His work has also been highlighted in The New York Times, Forbes, and Time.

"Going to Denison was one of the best decisions I ever made," said Clear. "It was a true inflection point in my life. Denison not only delivered some of the best years of my life, it also set up some of the best years of my life. I have been on a wonderful path ever since I stepped foot on campus, and I'm honored to represent the university with this award."

Today, Clear is an author and speaker and has been writing at JamesClear.com about habits, decision-making and continuous improvement since 2012. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 50 languages. He is also known for his popular 3-2-1 email newsletter, which is sent out each week to more than 2 million subscribers. He is a regular speaker at Fortune 500 companies (Popular keynote speaker). Previous clients include Capital One, Cisco, General Electric, Honda, Intel, LinkedIn, Lululemon, McKinsey & Company, Merrill Lynch and many more. James Clear is available for keynote speaking engagements around the world. His work has been featured in places like Time magazine, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and on CBS This Morning. Each year, Jamesclear.com donates five percent of their profits to their charity partner, Against Malaria Foundation, which distributes nets to protect children, pregnant mothers, and families from mosquitos carrying malaria. To date, Clear's company has provided nets for over 35,000 people.

Created in 1988, the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame recognizes former Academic All-Americans who received a college degree at least 10 years ago, have achieved lifetime success in their professional careers, and are committed to philanthropic causes. Honorees are chosen each year by a select committee of CSC members, leaders and past Academic All-America Hall of Fame inductees.

The four inductees into the CSC Academic All-America Hall of Fame will be honored during the All-Star Night of Honors presented by ESPN on June 10, 2024, in conjunction with the #CSCUNITE24 annual convention at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. ESPN reporter and 2019 Jake Wade Award winner Holly Rowe will host the event. Those without a #CSCUnite24 convention badge may purchase tickets to the event at CollegeSportsCommunicators.com/tickets.

See more on the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame at the Academic All-America website (https://academicallamerica.com/hof.aspx?path=hofinduction).
 
Official CSC Release