Ralph Hay
Encyclopedia
Ralph E. Hay was the owner of the Canton Bulldogs
from 1918 until 1923. However he is mostly recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that would later former the American Professional Football Association, later called the National Football League
.
car dealership. After high school Hay, at age 18, went to work as an automobile salesman for a local dealership. After several years selling cars, Hay went into the car business for himself. He set up the Ralph E. Hay Motor Company, and sold Jordan Hupmobiles
and Pierce-Arrow
s. Hay became one of the most successful automobile dealers in the state of Ohio
.
, when Cusack decided to return to Oklahoma
and compete in the oil industry. Hay had planned to use the team to help promote his car business and pursue his love of football. At the time the Bulldogs were the top team in the unofficial "Ohio League
", winning championships in 1916 and 1917. The team did not compete much in 1918 due manning issues related to the United States
involvement in World War I
. However in 1919, the Bulldogs again won the championship.
Despite winning a championship, the Bulldogs did not draw well enough fans to games pay for the high-priced salaries owed to the players. Hay lost money. To combat the increasing salaries, as well as the issue of players jumping from team to team, Hay sought to form a league. The league idea came from Canton's star halfback, Jim Thorpe
, who in turn heard the idea from Rochester Jeffersons
owner Leo Lyons
during a 1917 match between the Bulldogs and the Jeffs.
, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles
to form the American Professional Football Conference. The Akron delegation consisted of Frank Nied
and Art Ranney
. While Jimmy O'Donnell
and Stan Cofall represented Cleveland, and Dayton by Carl Storck
. At the meeting Hay was elected secretary of the league. He then wrote to every important pro team in the Midwest, including George Halas
manager of the Decatur Staleys, inviting them to meet in Canton on September 17, 1920 at 8:00 pm.
Representatives from ten pro teams showed up. Because Hay's office was too small, the meeting was held in his automobile showroom. Some of the owners sat on car running boards due to a lack of seats. The resulting organization operated for two years as the American Professional Football Association before its name was changed to the National Football League in 1922. The ten original franchises were from four states. The Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles from Ohio; the Hammond Pros
and Muncie Flyers
from Indiana
; the Rochester Jeffersons
from New York
; and the Rock Island Independents
, Decatur Staleys, and Racine Cardinals
from Illinois
. Four other franchises the Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers
, Columbus Panhandles, and Detroit Heralds would join the league later that year. Hay was asked to become the league's president, however he suggested that Jim Thorpe
take the position on the belief that his fame would enhance the league.
in tackle Wilbur Henry, tackle Roy "Link" Lyman, and end Guy Chamberlin
. When Chamberlin took over as coach in 1922
from Cap Edwards
, the Bulldogs went undefeated and won the NFL championship. However, Hay continued to lose money with the Bulldogs. Before the 1923 season, he sold the team to a group of local businessmen. The Bulldogs went on to win the 1923 NFL Championship and became the first NFL team to win back-to-back world titles.
. The efforts of Hay and the Bulldogs were offered as proof for the shrine to be located in Canton. While Hay has not yet been enshrined in the Hall, the city of Canton put up a plaque on the Bow Federal building in downtown Canton the site of where Ralph's automobile showroom once stood. The plaque recognizes Ralph Hay and Jim Thorpe, and the historical meeting on September 17, 1920 that saw the birth of the NFL. In 1988, the Professional Football Researchers Association
established the Ralph Hay Award which is awarded for "lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography."
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
from 1918 until 1923. However he is mostly recognized for organizing the first meeting of teams that would later former the American Professional Football Association, later called 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...
.
Car salesman
Prior to help establishing the NFL, Hay was the owner of a CantonCanton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
car dealership. After high school Hay, at age 18, went to work as an automobile salesman for a local dealership. After several years selling cars, Hay went into the car business for himself. He set up the Ralph E. Hay Motor Company, and sold Jordan Hupmobiles
Hupmobile
The Hupmobile was an automobile built from 1909 through 1940 by the Hupp Motor Company, which was located at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Its first car, the Model 20, was introduced to the public at the Detroit Auto Show in February 1909...
and Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow was an American automobile manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901-1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.-Early history:The forerunner...
s. Hay became one of the most successful automobile dealers in the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Canton Bulldogs
In 1918, at the age of 27, Hay acquired the Canton Bulldogs from Jack CusackJack Cusack
Jack Cusack was one of the prominent early figures in professional football in Ohio. At the age of twenty-one, Cusack became the manager and owner of the Canton Bulldogs, one of the leading teams of the day...
, when Cusack decided to return to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and compete in the oil industry. Hay had planned to use the team to help promote his car business and pursue his love of football. At the time the Bulldogs were the top team in the unofficial "Ohio League
Ohio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
", winning championships in 1916 and 1917. The team did not compete much in 1918 due manning issues related to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
involvement in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However in 1919, the Bulldogs again won the championship.
Despite winning a championship, the Bulldogs did not draw well enough fans to games pay for the high-priced salaries owed to the players. Hay lost money. To combat the increasing salaries, as well as the issue of players jumping from team to team, Hay sought to form a league. The league idea came from Canton's star halfback, Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
, who in turn heard the idea from Rochester Jeffersons
Rochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
owner Leo Lyons
Leo Lyons (American football)
Leo V. Lyons was a co-founder of the National Football League. He was a player, manager,coach and owner of the Rochester Jeffersons from 1908 to 1925.-Early career:...
during a 1917 match between the Bulldogs and the Jeffs.
Formation of the NFL
In August 1920, Hay met in Canton with the managers of the Akron ProsAkron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional football team located played in Akron, Ohio from 1908–1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, however name was changed to the Pros in 1920 as the team set out to become a charter member of the American Professional...
, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles
Dayton Triangles
The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north...
to form the American Professional Football Conference. The Akron delegation consisted of Frank Nied
Frank Nied
Francis Theodore Nied was a founder of the American Professional Football Association , as well as the owner of the Akron Pros and, as the team became known as in 1926, the Akron Indians.-Purchasing the Indians:In 1920, Neid was a cigar store owner in Akron...
and Art Ranney
Art Ranney
Arthur F. Ranney was a co-founder of the American Professional Football Association , as an owner of the Akron Pros, one of the league's chater teams...
. While Jimmy O'Donnell
Jimmy O'Donnell
James M. O'Donnell was the owner and co-founder of the first National Football League franchise in Cleveland, called the Cleveland Tigers...
and Stan Cofall represented Cleveland, and Dayton by Carl Storck
Carl Storck
Carl Storck was a co-founder of the National Football League, as well as the founding owner of the Dayton Triangles. He was also the Triangles coach from 1922 until 1926. Storck served as the secretary-treasurer of the NFL from 1921 to 1939. Upon the death of Joe Carr, he served as president of...
. At the meeting Hay was elected secretary of the league. He then wrote to every important pro team in the Midwest, including George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
manager of the Decatur Staleys, inviting them to meet in Canton on September 17, 1920 at 8:00 pm.
Representatives from ten pro teams showed up. Because Hay's office was too small, the meeting was held in his automobile showroom. Some of the owners sat on car running boards due to a lack of seats. The resulting organization operated for two years as the American Professional Football Association before its name was changed to the National Football League in 1922. The ten original franchises were from four states. The Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, and Dayton Triangles from Ohio; the Hammond Pros
Hammond Pros
The Hammond Pros from Hammond, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1926 as a traveling team.-History:The Pros were established by Paul Parduhn and Dr. Alva Young who was a boxing promoter, owner of a racing stable and a doctor and trainer for a semi-pro football team...
and Muncie Flyers
Muncie Flyers
The Muncie Flyers from Muncie, Indiana played in the National Football League from 1920-1921.-Origins:...
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
; the Rochester Jeffersons
Rochester Jeffersons
The Rochester Jeffersons from Rochester, New York played in the National Football League from 1920 to 1925.Formed as an amateur outfit by a rag-tag group of Rochester-area teenagers after the turn of the century , the team became known as the Jeffersons in reference to the locale of their playing...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; and the Rock Island Independents
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team based in Rock Island, Illinois. One of the first professional football teams, they were founded in 1907 as an independent club. They later played in what is now the National Football League from 1920 to 1925. They joined the...
, Decatur Staleys, and Racine Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Four other franchises the Buffalo All-Americans, Chicago Tigers
Chicago Tigers
The Chicago Tigers of the American Professional Football Association played only in the first year of the league and, because of this, have the distinction of being the first official NFL team to fold. They had a record of 2 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie...
, Columbus Panhandles, and Detroit Heralds would join the league later that year. Hay was asked to become the league's president, however he suggested that Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
take the position on the belief that his fame would enhance the league.
Bulldogs in the NFL
Hay built a strong team in Canton during the early1920's, signing three future Hall of FamersPro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in tackle Wilbur Henry, tackle Roy "Link" Lyman, and end Guy Chamberlin
Guy Chamberlin
Berlin Guy "Champ" Chamberlin was a professional American football player and coach in the National Football League . He played at Nebraska Wesleyan University and then at the University of Nebraska, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He graduated from Nebraska in 1916...
. When Chamberlin took over as coach in 1922
1922 NFL season
The 1922 NFL season was the 3rd regular season of what was now called National Football League . The NFL fielded 18 teams during the season, including new league teams such as the Milwaukee Badgers, the Oorang Indians, the Racine Legion, and the Toledo Maroons...
from Cap Edwards
Cap Edwards
Howard Eugene "Cap" Edwards was a National Football League coach and player in American football's earliest years. In the early 20th century, football in America was just beginning to catch on, with professional teams popping up in numerous cities, and at the time college football was more...
, the Bulldogs went undefeated and won the NFL championship. However, Hay continued to lose money with the Bulldogs. Before the 1923 season, he sold the team to a group of local businessmen. The Bulldogs went on to win the 1923 NFL Championship and became the first NFL team to win back-to-back world titles.
Legacy
On April 27, 1961, Canton was selected by the NFL as the site for the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. The efforts of Hay and the Bulldogs were offered as proof for the shrine to be located in Canton. While Hay has not yet been enshrined in the Hall, the city of Canton put up a plaque on the Bow Federal building in downtown Canton the site of where Ralph's automobile showroom once stood. The plaque recognizes Ralph Hay and Jim Thorpe, and the historical meeting on September 17, 1920 that saw the birth of the NFL. In 1988, the Professional Football Researchers Association
Professional Football Researchers Association
The Professional Football Researchers Association is an organization of researchers whose mission is to preserve and, in some cases, reconstruct professional football history. It was founded on June 22, 1979 in Canton, Ohio by writer/historian Bob Carroll and six other football researchers and is...
established the Ralph Hay Award which is awarded for "lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography."