Jerry Wolman
Encyclopedia
Jerry Wolman is a former Washington, D.C.
developer and the former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles
football team of the National Football League
. Wolman bought the Eagles franchise in 1963 from the "Happy Hundred,"
a group of investors that owned the team from 1949–1963, for a sale price of $5,505,000, to become the youngest owner in the league. He was also the owner of Connie Mack Stadium
.
He was also one of the founding owners, briefly in 1967, of the Philadelphia Flyers
of the National Hockey League
. Over the next two years, his $100-million financial empire crumbled into bankruptcy, and he was forced to give up his interests in both teams. In 1967, he sold his Flyers interest to his co-owners, with Ed Snider
assuming control, along with his partners, Bill Putnam and Joe Scott. In 1969, he sold the Eagles to Leonard Tose
for a reported $16.1 million, then a record price for a professional sports team.
Wolman is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
; one of its chapters is named after him. Wolman was a philanthropic individual who never forgot his coal mining town roots. He kept in contact with his hometown of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through good and bad times.
Wolman had also initiated the development of the John Hancock Center
, a 100-story skyscraper
in Chicago, Illinois, but withdrew from the project because of financial difficulties.
Wolman now lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Bobbie and he is a father of two and a grandfather of eight.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
developer and the former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Wolman bought the Eagles franchise in 1963 from the "Happy Hundred,"
Happy Hundred
The "Happy Hundred", also known as the "100 Brothers", was a group of investors who owned the Philadelphia Eagles franchise of the National Football League from 1949–1963. The group was headed by James P. Clark, the majority owner...
a group of investors that owned the team from 1949–1963, for a sale price of $5,505,000, to become the youngest owner in the league. He was also the owner of Connie Mack Stadium
Connie Mack Stadium
Shibe Park, known later as Connie Mack Stadium, was a major league baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When it opened April 12, 1909, it became baseball's first steel-and-concrete stadium. In different eras it was home to "The $100,000 Infield", "The Whiz Kids" and "The 1964 Phold"...
.
He was also one of the founding owners, briefly in 1967, of the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. Over the next two years, his $100-million financial empire crumbled into bankruptcy, and he was forced to give up his interests in both teams. In 1967, he sold his Flyers interest to his co-owners, with Ed Snider
Ed Snider
Edward M. Snider is the American Chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, the Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum, the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet and Global Spectrum, an international facilities...
assuming control, along with his partners, Bill Putnam and Joe Scott. In 1969, he sold the Eagles to Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose
Leonard Hyman Tose was an owner of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1969–1985. He made a fortune in the trucking industry and was known for his lavish lifestyle...
for a reported $16.1 million, then a record price for a professional sports team.
Wolman is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization established in 1962. It is the only community-based hall of fame in the United States...
; one of its chapters is named after him. Wolman was a philanthropic individual who never forgot his coal mining town roots. He kept in contact with his hometown of Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through good and bad times.
Wolman had also initiated the development of the John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center at 875 North Michigan Avenue in the Streeterville area of Chicago, Illinois, is a 100-story, 1,127-foot tall skyscraper, constructed under the supervision of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, with chief designer Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan...
, a 100-story skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
in Chicago, Illinois, but withdrew from the project because of financial difficulties.
Wolman now lives in Potomac, Maryland, with his wife Bobbie and he is a father of two and a grandfather of eight.
Further reading
- Jerry Wolman, Joseph Bockol, Richard Bockol, Jerry Wolman: The World's Richest Man, 3rd & Long Productions, Rockville, Maryland, 2010.
External links
- Biographical note at Famous Coal Crackers