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Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin, native George Whitney Calhoun, founded the Green Bay Packers in 1919. He served as team captain in the team's first year before becoming player-coach in 1920. As a player, Lambeau lined up as a halfback, which in the early years of the NFL was the premier position. He was the team's primary runner and passer, accounting for 35 touchdowns in 77 games. He won his only NFL championship as a player in 1929.
George Whitney Calhoun was an American newspaper editor and co-founder of the Green Bay Packers, a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After establishing the Packers in 1919 with Curly Lambeau, Calhoun served the team in various capacities for 44 years until his death in 1963. Utilizing his editorial job at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, he became the team's first publicity director, helping to establish local support and interest. He also served as the first team manager and was a member of the board of directors of the non-profit corporation that owns the team. Although often overshadowed by the more famous Curly Lambeau, Calhoun was instrumental to the early success of the Packers. In recognition of his contributions, Calhoun was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1978.
Lyle R. Sturgeon was a professional American football player who played tackle for the Green Bay Packers. He played college football at North Dakota State University before playing professionally. After his career, he worked for the Olson Transportation Co.
The Lambeau Leap is a touchdown celebration in American football in which a player leaps into the bleachers behind the end zone after scoring. The celebration was popularized after Green Bay Packers player LeRoy Butler jumped into the Lambeau Field bleachers after scoring a touchdown from a fumble recovery against the Los Angeles Raiders on December 26, 1993. The celebration has remained popular ever since, even as the National Football League tightened rules on touchdown celebrations in the early 2000s. Some safety concerns have been noted by players and staff, including inappropriate touching by fans and the possibility of an injury to the player leaping into the bleachers. Although uncommon, the celebration has been attempted by multiple players from opposing teams at Lambeau Field. The Lambeau Leap is an important component of the history and traditions of the Packers.
Mark Hodge Murphy is an American football executive and former player who is the president and chief executive officer (CEO) for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Murphy, a safety, went undrafted in the 1977 NFL draft after playing college football at Colgate University. He was signed by the Washington Redskins, where he played for eight seasons from 1977 to 1984. With the Redskins, Murphy won Super Bowl XVII, played in another Super Bowl and led the NFL in interceptions in 1983, the year he was named to his only Pro Bowl and received his only First Team All-Pro honor. During his last few years in the NFL he received a Master of Business Administration from American University and then, after his career ended in 1984, a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1988. After his playing career, he worked for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and then as a trial lawyer for the United States Department of Justice. In 1992, he was hired as the athletic director of his alma mater Colgate University. In 2003, he moved to Northwestern University to serve as their athletic director, a position he held until 2007.
Robert Ernest Harlan is an American former football executive who served as the president of the Green Bay Packers for 19 years. Harlan also held the titles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer for the Packers. He was a graduate of Marquette University, where he later served as the Sports Information Director for six years. After his tenure at Marquette, Harlan worked for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team for five years in community and public relations. In 1971, he was hired by the Packers as assistant general manager. For the next 18 years, Harlan worked in different positions in the front office for the Packers before being promoted to executive vice president in 1988. In 1989, after the retirement of Robert J. Parins, Harlan was elected as the Packers' ninth president, a position he held until 2008. Harlan became the first team president whose background was primarily in football; all previous presidents of the Packers were local civic leaders or businessmen in the Green Bay, Wisconsin-area.
John Jones is an American former football executive who briefly served as president of the Green Bay Packers. Jones, who was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, attended Loyola University of the South for his undergraduate studies and the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his post-graduate studies, both in the field of journalism. For 11 years, he served as a teacher of journalism at Loyola and as a journalist for New Orleans Times-Picayune. During his career as a journalist, Jones covered the National Football League and the New Orleans Saints. He transitioned from his journalism career to an executive of American football, first with the NFL Management Council and then with two NFL teams: the Jacksonville Jaguars and then the Packers.
The 1919 Green Bay Packers season was their first season of competitive football. The team was formed by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun with help from the Indian Packing Company. Lambeau served as team captain, the position closest related to the modern position of head coach, while Willard Ryan served as the official head coach. The club posted a 10–1 record against other teams in Wisconsin and Michigan.
Dominic John Olejniczak was an American real estate broker, politician, and football executive. Olejniczak served as an alderman of Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1936 to 1944. He was then elected mayor, serving for 10 years from 1945 to 1955. During his tenure as mayor, a number of large infrastructure projects were completed and city administration was streamlined. Olejniczak was also known for his work with the Green Bay Packers. Over a period of almost 40 years, Olejniczak served as a member of the board of directors, a vice president, president, and chairman of the board. His 24 years as president is the longest tenure of any Packers president. During his presidency, he hired Vince Lombardi in 1959, the Packers won five championships, and the team saw its net worth grow over 5,000%. In recognition of his contributions, Olejniczak was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. He died in 1989, after a series of strokes.
Frank John Butler was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. Prior to his professional football career, he played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, where he was named an All-Big Ten player. He was a member of the Packers' 1936 NFL Championship team.
Robert James Parins was an American judge and football executive. Parins was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1942. He served as the Brown County, Wisconsin, district attorney from 1949 to 1950 and as a circuit court judge for the county from 1968 to 1982. In the early 1990s, Parins played a notable role in a case related to Jeffrey Dahmer, an American serial killer. Outside of his legal career, Parins served in various leadership positions for the Green Bay Packers, including serving on the board of directors. In 1982, he was elected president of the Green Bay Packers, serving as the first full-time president in team history. In recognition of his accomplishments, which included the formation of the Green Bay Packers Foundation, financial improvements and facility expansion, Parins was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1998. Parins died in 2017 at the age of 98.
Andrew Blair Turnbull, was a businessman and American football executive. Turnbull founded and owned the Green Bay Press-Gazette and was the first president of the Green Bay Football Corporation (now called Green Bay Packers, Inc., the non-profit organization that owns the Green Bay Packers. He served as publisher, general manager, and business manager of the Press-Gazette for 45 years. During the early years of the Green Bay Packers, Turnbull helped convert the team from a privately held franchise to a publicly owned, non-profit corporation. He also helped the team through multiple financially challenging periods, which saw him identified as part of The Hungry Five, a group of early Packers supporters. Between 1923 and 1928, he served as the first president of the Green Bay Football Corporation and remained on the corporation's board of directors and executive committee until 1949. Turnbull died in 1960 and was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1977.
Lee Joannes, born Joseph Leland Heath Joannes and also known as Leland Joannes, was a businessman and American football executive. Joannes owned Joannes Brothers Company, a wholesale grocery store, and was the fourth president of the Green Bay Football Corporation, which became Green Bay Packers, Inc. during his tenure. He was part of The Hungry Five, a group of businessmen who are credited with keeping the Green Bay Packers in operation during numerous financially difficult times. He served on the Packers board of directors for over 58 years in various roles, including chairman, president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and director emeritus. During his 17 years as president from 1930 to 1947, the Packers won five NFL Championships while enduring the Great Depression and World War II. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1981. Joannes died in 1982 at the age of 89.
W. Webber Kelly, born William Webber Kelly, was a prominent medical doctor in the state of Wisconsin known for being the third president of the Green Bay Football Corporation, the non-profit organization that owns the Green Bay Packers. Kelly was a practicing physician in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for almost 50 years and a respected civic leader. During his one year as president of the Packers for the 1929 season, the team went 12–0–1 and won its first NFL Championship. Kelly was identified as part of The Hungry Five, a group of Green Bay businessmen who were instrumental in guiding the Packers through multiple financially challenging periods. In addition to his presidency, Kelly served as the team physician from 1921 to 1943 and as a member of the Packers' board of directors from 1923 to 1949. After a falling out with Packers co-founder, head coach, and general manager Curly Lambeau, Kelly resigned from the Board in 1949. Two years later he died of a heart attack at the age of 75. In recognition of his contributions, Kelly was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1994.
Emil Richard Fischer was an American businessman and a football executive for the Green Bay Packers. Fischer was well known in the Green Bay cheese industry, a nationally recognized businessman, and a local civic leader. From 1948 to 1952, he served as the fifth president of the Packers. He is credited with leading the Packers through one of the most difficult periods in the team's history. During his tenure, the team's co-founder and longtime coach Curly Lambeau resigned, the Packers issued their third stock sale, and the National Football League (NFL) merged with the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). He also sat on the organization's board of directors and executive committee from 1935 to 1958. After his presidency ended, he served as chairman of the board until his death in 1958. In recognition of his contributions to the team, Fischer was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2013.
Russell W. Bogda was an American automotive executive and president of the Green Bay Packers. From 1953 to 1957, he served as the sixth president of the Green Bay Packers. During his presidency, the Packers secured funding and built New City Stadium, which would be renamed in 1965 to Lambeau Field. Although the Packers during Bogda's tenure saw little on-field success, he helped the organization stay financially successful and the construction of a new stadium during his tenure kept the Packers in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Bogda died at the age of 46 on February 22, 1958, of lung cancer.
Willard J. Ryan was an American teacher and football coach who served as the first head coach of the Green Bay Packers. Historically, Curly Lambeau has been credited as being the Packers' first head coach, although this is primarily due to the different rules of American football in the early 1900s. In Ryan's era, the head coach was not allowed to communicate with the players while they were playing a game. Lambeau, as team captain, would call the plays during a game and also organized practices, tasks that are now allocated to the head coaching position. Ryan, who also coached the Green Bay West High School football team, only coached the Packers in their inaugural season in 1919, leading the team to a record of 10–1. Before his coaching career, Ryan served in World War I in 1918. In 1920, he moved to Minnesota to work as a school teacher and a superintendent of schools. He retired in 1955 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1961. He died of unknown causes on February 7, 1962, at the age of 71.
Frank John Jonet was an American accountant known for serving as the secretary-treasurer of the Green Bay Packers. Jonet graduated from State Teachers College in Wisconsin and taught for 14 years. Professionally, he was a trained accountant who worked for various businesses and was the treasurer for the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Associated with the Packers from his time with the Indian Packing Company in 1919 and 1920, Jonet would maintain some link with the team for the next 32 years. In 1933, Jonet was named the receiver for the Packers after the team experienced severe financial issues and entered bankruptcy. After reorganizing to Green Bay Packers, Inc. in 1935 and raising funds through a stock sale, the Packers were saved from folding as an organization. That year, Jonet was named the treasurer for the Packers. In 1941 his title was changed to secretary-treasurer and in 1947 he was elected to the team's board of directors, which he would serve on until his death in 1951. In 2011, Jonet was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Christl, Cliff. "Jerry Atkinson". Packers.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Egle, Jim (February 14, 1988). "Atkinson helped bail out Packers: Part 1". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. C-1. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Egle, Jim (February 14, 1988). "Atkinson helped bail out Packers: Part 2". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. C-4. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Daley, Art (November 17, 1949). "Fans Behind $50,000 Drive For Packers, Says Chairman". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. 35. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Daley, Art (November 17, 1949). "Packers Backers Collect $10,152--One-Fifth of Big Goal". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. 35. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 "Jerry R. Atkinson". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). October 19, 1996. p. B-2. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Jerry Atkinson Paces City Bowlers With 683 Pin Total". Waukesha Daily Freeman (clipping). April 16, 1946. p. Seven. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Maier, Harry (February 10, 1980). "Downtown again facing crucial test: Jerry Atkinson". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). p. A-6. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023– via Newspapers.com.