Thomas McCloskey
Encyclopedia
Thomas D. McCloskey was a Philadelphia construction magnate. He became the president of McCloskey & Co. Builders when his father, former Democratic National Treasurer Matthew H. McCloskey, was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Ireland
.
He supervised the building of, among others, the Philadelphia Mint
, Centre Square
, the Mann Music Center
, Veterans Stadium
, the Spectrum
, and RFK Stadium
. He was chair of the Liberty Bowl
, shortly before it left Philadelphia. McCloskey was the founder of the North American Soccer League
team the Philadelphia Atoms
, who played in McCloskey's Veterans Stadium
. After failing in a bid to purchase the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
, he was granted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
expansion franchise. He could not come to terms with the NFL over a payment method, and was replaced as owner by Hugh Culverhouse
before the team ever began play.
United States Ambassador to Ireland
There have been a total of 30 Ambassadors of the United States to Ireland meaning the Republic of Ireland. All except one, Frederick A. Sterling, have been non-career appointees, while there were three under President George W. Bush.-List of Ambassadors:...
.
He supervised the building of, among others, the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
, Centre Square
Centre Square
Centre Square is an office complex located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The complex consists of two high-rise towers: the Centre Square I and the Centre Square II. The concrete towers are the twenty-fourth and fifteenth tallest buildings in Philadelphia,...
, the Mann Music Center
Mann Center for the Performing Arts
The Mann Center for The Performing Arts is a 14,000 seat summer musical venue located in Philadelphia's West Fairmount Park. The venue operates as both an indoor performance hall and an outdoor music venue...
, Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, the Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, and RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
. He was chair of the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
, shortly before it left Philadelphia. McCloskey was the founder of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
team the Philadelphia Atoms
Philadelphia Atoms
The Philadelphia Atoms were a soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League . They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium and Franklin Field ....
, who played in McCloskey's Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. After failing in a bid to purchase the NFL's 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...
, he was granted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
expansion franchise. He could not come to terms with the NFL over a payment method, and was replaced as owner by Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse, Sr. was the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League . He was a successful tax lawyer, and his real estate investments made him one of the nation's wealthiest men...
before the team ever began play.