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42-572: During their early histories, the Pirates and the Eagles were among the weakest in the league. In his first eight years of operating the Pittsburgh franchise, Pirates founder Art Rooney was estimated to have lost $ 100,000. Meanwhile, the Eagles were owned by a syndicate headed by Bert Bell , however the team lost $ 80,000 and 21 games in its first three seasons. Soon all of the team's investors left

84-611: A 1–13 showing in 1969 . He is buried at the North Side Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh. In 1964, he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame . Duquesne University named their football field in his honor in 1993. In 1999 Rooney ranked 81st on the Sporting News ' "100 Most Powerful Sports Figures of the 20th Century" list. A statue of his likeness graces the entrance to the home of

126-481: A 70% interest in the Eagles, the other 30% held by Rooney friend and future NFL commissioner, Bert Bell. Bell and Rooney agreed to trade places with Thompson. Bell took the role of President of the Steelers that he relinquished to Rooney in 1946 when Bell became Commissioner. Rooney got his good friend and his sister's father in law, Barney McGinley, to buy Bell's shares. Barney's son Jack, Art's brother in law, retained

168-468: A block from Exposition Park , which had been home to the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team until 1909 . Rooney had a brother, Silas Rooney, who later entered the priesthood. Silas Rooney eventually became the athletic director for St. Bonaventure University in 1947 and invited the Steelers to play their training camp at the university in the 1950s. Another brother, James P. Rooney, later

210-547: A city and era where baseball was king and were treated as something of a joke compared to the Pirates. The team also made some questionable personnel calls at the time such as cutting a then-unknown Johnny Unitas in training camp (Unitas would go on to a Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Colts ) and trading their first round pick in the 1965 draft to the Chicago Bears (who would draft Dick Butkus with

252-550: A club based in the city of Pittsburgh. He named his new team the "Pirates", after the city's baseball team , of which Rooney was a fan since childhood. Since the league's inception in 1920, the NFL had wanted a team in Pittsburgh due to the city's already-long history with football as well as the popularity of the Pittsburgh Panthers football team, an NCAA national championship contender during this period. The league

294-481: A coach, Joe Bach , give contracts to his players and almost win a championship. The winnings funded the team until 1941 when he sold the franchise to NY playboy Alex Thompson. Thompson wanted to move the franchise to Boston so he could be within a five-hour train ride of his club. At the same time, the Philadelphia Eagles ran into financial problems. Rooney used the funds from the sale of franchise to get

336-596: A game against the Brooklyn Dodgers ; Bell invited those few fans up to the covered press box, where he provided free coffee and hot dogs. Neither the Eagles nor the Pirates-Steelers had posted a winning record in their first eight years of existence. Losses on the field were compounded by the combined loss of about $ 190,000 in Depression dollars. The Steelers were so bad that Rooney sold them at

378-622: A heart attack at Franklin Field in Philadelphia during a game between two teams he had helped form, the Steelers and the Eagles. The notion for a single team between the two cities was revived, when for one season in 1943 , forced to do so by player shortfalls brought on by World War II, the two clubs temporarily merged as the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh "Steagles" . The league only approved the merger for one year; Pittsburgh

420-528: A large diaspora , which includes over 31 million American citizens , plus over 7 million Irish Australians , of whom around 67% adhere to Catholicism. Divisions between Irish Roman Catholics and Irish Protestants played a major role in the history of Ireland from the 16th century to the 20th century, especially during the Home Rule Crisis and the Troubles . While religion broadly marks

462-518: A member of 'our organization'. As far as [Curt] Gowdy knew, I was vice president of the team. Mr. Rooney made me feel 10 feet tall. Inviting a groundskeeper up to the owner's box for dinner. Following the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl IX , Rooney stepped down from day-to-day management of the team, but remained the ultimate source of authority until his death. Dan , his son, took over as team president. Rooney died from complications of

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504-441: A stroke on August 25, 1988. An August 1987 Pittsburgh Press story stated that Rooney never missed a Hall of Fame induction ceremony in all 25 years, and that he was asked to present his third inductee, John Henry Johnson , that month. In memory of "The Chief," Steelers wore a patch on the left shoulder of their uniforms with Rooney's initials AJR for the entire season. The team ended up finishing 5-11 , their worst record since

546-631: The Great Famine in the 1840s. While living in Montreal , the Rooneys had a son, Arthur (who would become Art Rooney's grandfather). James and Mary later moved to Ebbw Vale , Wales , where the iron industry was flourishing, taking their son Arthur, then 21, with them. This Arthur Rooney married Catherine Regan (who was also Irish Catholic), in Wales, and they had a son, Dan. Two years after Dan Rooney

588-585: The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , Catholics and Presbyterians , who were not part of the established Church of Ireland , found common cause. Irish Catholics are found in many countries around the world, especially in the Anglosphere . Emigration exponentially increased due to the Great Famine which lasted from 1845 to 1852. In the United States , anti-Irish sentiment and anti-Catholicism

630-725: The National Football League (NFL), from 1933 until his death. Rooney is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , was an Olympic qualifying boxer, and was part or whole owner in several track sport venues and Pittsburgh area pro teams. He was the first president of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1933 to 1974, and the first chairman of the team from 1933 to 1988. Rooney's great-grandparents, James and Mary Rooney, were Irish Catholics who emigrated from Newry in County Down , Ireland to Canada during

672-615: The Pittsburgh Steelers , Heinz Field . The street that runs adjacent to Heinz Field on Pittsburgh's North Side is named "Art Rooney Avenue" in his honor. In 2000, he was inducted as a "pioneer" into the American Football Association's Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame. During Rooney's life, the Steelers would often use a late-round draft pick on a player from a local college like Pitt , West Virginia or Penn State . Though these players rarely made

714-634: The Pittsburgh Steelers . During World War II, the Steelers had some financial difficulties and were merged with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1943 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1944 . After the war, Rooney became team president. He longed to bring an NFL title to Pittsburgh but was never able to beat the powerhouse teams, like the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers . The Steelers also struggled with playing in

756-606: The Super Bowl . During Rooney's lifetime the team also had Super Bowl victories following the 1975, 1978 and 1979 seasons. They also won the Super Bowl in the 2005 and 2008 seasons, making the Steelers the first-team following the AFL–NFL merger to win six Super Bowls. I'll never forget the way he introduced me, 'This is Ralph Giampaolo, a member of our organization.' Not a member of our ground crew. Not some rinky-dink bum. But

798-1023: The Yonkers Raceway in 1972, the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Green Mountain Kennel Club in Vermont, Shamrock Stables in Maryland and owned the Liberty Bell Park Racetrack outside Philadelphia. Following the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the Steelers agreed to leave the NFL Eastern Conference and joined the AFC Central Division. Everyone knew Mr. Rooney was our number one citizen...he did more for this city than R.K. Mellon did for

840-685: The AAU welterweight belt in 1918 and tried out for the 1920 Olympic Team, he played minor league baseball for both the Flint, Michigan "Vehicles" and the Wheeling, West Virginia "Stogies" . In 1925 he served as Wheeling's player-manager and led the Middle Atlantic League in games, hits, runs, stolen bases and finished second in batting average (his brother Dan Rooney, Wheeling's catcher that year, finished third). Art also played halfback for

882-535: The Eagles to form a Philadelphia-Pittsburgh club, splitting the home games between Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium . Thompson, however, was unable to secure a place to play in Boston. After meeting with Rooney, plans changed whereby Thompson's club (ostensibly the former Steelers) would play in Philadelphia as the Eagles, while the Rooney-Bell owned team would play in Pittsburgh as

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924-527: The McGinley interest that passed to his heirs when he died in 2006. The Rooneys are the finest people, the people I most respect in American sports ownership. I've always felt that way. And there's no reason to change. They are people of integrity and character. The way they put the Steelers together, to hire a man like Chuck Noll, to emphasize the team concept. I have a whole transcendental feeling for

966-486: The Steelers and the Rooneys and Pittsburgh. — Howard Cosell, October 1982 Rooney sent shock waves through the NFL by signing Byron "Whizzer" White to a record-breaking $ 15,000 contract in 1938. This move, however, did not bring the Pirates a winning season, and White left the team for the Detroit Lions the following year. The club did not have a season above .500 until 1942, the year after they were renamed

1008-459: The Steelers, effectively trading the two clubs between their cities. Before the 1941 season, Rooney returned the name to Steelers back from the Ironmen. Bell began the season as the Steelers' coach, but after two losses, Rooney hired Aldo Donelli . Bell continued as part owner of the Steelers until 1946 when he was elected NFL commissioner . Bell served as commissioner until 1959 when he died of

1050-409: The business community and David Lawrence and any of the mayors who followed him, including Richard Caliguiri , did politically. Tom Foerster Through expert scouting, the Steelers became a power. In 1972, they began a remarkable 8–year run of playoff appearances, and 13 straight years of winning seasons, including three additional playoff berths. In Rooney's 41st season as owner, the club won

1092-733: The chairman of the board of directors of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a former United States Ambassador to Ireland , Art Rooney Jr. , Timothy Rooney, Patrick Rooney, and John Rooney (all also directors of the Pittsburgh Steelers ). She is also the grandmother of the couple's 32 grandchildren, including current Steelers president Art Rooney II and U.S. Representative Thomas J. Rooney (R, FL-16). The couple also has about 75 great-grandchildren, including actress sisters Kate Mara and Rooney Mara . General Specific Irish Catholic Irish Catholics ( Irish : Caitlicigh na hÉireann ) are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland whose members are both Catholic and Irish . They have

1134-458: The delineation of these divisions, the contentions were primarily political and they were also related to access to power. For example, while the majority of Irish Catholics had an identity which was independent from Britain's identity and were excluded from power because they were Catholic, a number of the instigators of rebellions against British rule were actually Protestant Irish nationalists , although most Irish Protestants opposed separatism. In

1176-459: The end of the 1940 season to Alexis Thompson , a 26-year-old steel heir from Boston frequently described in the press as "a well-heeled New York City playboy". Thompson renamed the Steelers the Ironmen, but he planned to move the franchise to Boston and play games in Fenway Park . Eagles owner Bert Bell brokered the deal between Rooney and Thompson for $ 160,000, and Rooney used $ 80,000 of

1218-427: The franchise, and by the end of the 1935 season Bert Bell had the Eagles to himself. He became the coach, general manager , scout and public relations director, and took to selling tickets on downtown Philadelphia street corners. Because the rent was cheap, the team played in the 102,000 seat Municipal Stadium before at least 100,000 empty seats. According to one account, one rainy Sunday, only 50 people showed up for

1260-660: The league award Pittsburgh a franchise. Rooney proved his worth and from 1967 until the early 1970s was a part owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins . In a 1981 interview by the Pittsburgh Press Rooney related that "from time to time he had helped financially support the Negro league team, the Homestead Grays , and . . . was a better baseball fan than football fan." Rooney also acquired

1302-528: The league's expansion in 1967. Although Pittsburgh enjoyed championship hockey with the professional but "minor league" Pittsburgh Hornets since its NHL franchise (the Pirates hockey team ) disbanded in 1930 from the effects of the Great Depression , many city leaders were pushing for the region to become more "major league" suggesting that Mr. Rooney use his influence in the sports industry to have

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1344-594: The pick), among others. Nevertheless, Rooney was popular with owners as a mediator, which would carry over to his son Dan Rooney . He was the only owner to vote against moving the rights of the New York Yanks to Dallas, Texas after the 1951 season due to concerns of racism in the South at the time. (Ultimately, the Dallas Texans failed after one year, and the rights were moved to Baltimore , where

1386-515: The proceeds to buy a partnership in the Eagles, which at the time was owned by Bell. The deal also involved the trade of several players between the two teams. The two owners planned to field a combined Philadelphia-Pittsburgh team called the Keystoners that would play home games in both cities. The original proposition was that Thompson would buy the franchise and take the Pittsburgh club to Boston and Bell and Rooney would pool their interests in

1428-418: The semi-pro Pittsburgh "Hope Harvey" and "Majestic Radio" clubs which he later took over and renamed the J.P. Rooneys before purchasing an NFL franchise for $ 2,500 in 1933. The biggest thrill wasn't in winning on Sunday but in meeting the payroll on Monday. 1983 Steelers yearbook Rooney's affiliation with the National Football League (NFL) began in 1933 when he paid a $ 2,500 franchise fee to found

1470-471: The team became the Baltimore Colts . The team now plays in Indianapolis .) In 1963, along with Bears owner George Halas , Rooney was one of two owners to vote for the 1925 NFL Championship to be reinstated to the long-defunct Pottsville Maroons . As a pillar of the community in many aspects, Rooney was asked to lend his considerable influence in the city's bid to reclaim an NHL franchise during

1512-437: The team, this practice was intended to appeal to local fans and players. Art Rooney is the finest person I've ever known. — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White . [The] most popular sports figure in history. — Art Modell . Art Rooney is the subject of, and the only character in, the one-man play The Chief , written by Gene Collier and Rob Zellers. My father always used to tell us boys, "Treat everybody

1554-526: The way you'd like to be treated. Give them the benefit of the doubt. But never let anyone mistake kindness for weakness." He took the Golden Rule and put a little bit of the North Side in it. — Art Rooney Jr. on his father Arthur J. Rooney was married to Kathleen Rooney née McNulty (1904–1982) for 51 years, until her 1982 death. Kathleen was the mother of Art's five sons, who are Dan Rooney ,

1596-549: Was born, the family moved back to Canada and eventually ended up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1884. Along the way the family grew to include nine children of which Dan was the second. Dan Rooney remained in the Pittsburgh area, and eventually opened a saloon in the Youghiogheny Valley coal town of Coulter, Pennsylvania (or Coultersville). This is where Dan Rooney met and wed Margaret "Maggie" Murray, who

1638-549: Was elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly , winning easily in part because Art had renamed the team after James , who also played on the squad, as a promotional tactic. Rooney attended St. Peter's Catholic School in Pittsburgh, Duquesne University Prep School, then several semesters at Indiana Normal School before completing a final year at Temple University on an athletic scholarship. After graduation, he dedicated himself to sports, winning

1680-400: Was finally able to take advantage of Pennsylvania relaxing their blue laws that prior to 1933 prohibited sporting events from taking place on Sundays, when most NFL games take place. In 1936, Rooney won a parlay at Saratoga Race Course , which netted him about $ 160,000. He placed the bet based on a tip from New York Giants owner Tim Mara , a bookmaker . He used the winnings to hire

1722-403: Was the daughter of a coal miner, and where the couple's first son, Arthur Joseph Rooney, was born. Dan and Maggie would eventually settle their family in Pittsburgh's North Side in 1913, where they bought a three-story building at the corner of Corey Street and General Robinson Street. Dan operated a cafe and saloon out of the first floor with the family living above. The building was located just

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1764-469: Was willing to merge again for 1944 but not Philadelphia. This forced the Steelers to merge with the Chicago Cardinals (as Card-Pitt ) for 1944. Art Rooney Arthur Joseph Rooney Sr. (January 27, 1901 – August 25, 1988), often referred to as " the Chief ", was an American professional football executive. He was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers , an American football franchise in

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