Bert Bell

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Bell's journey began at the University of Pennsylvania, where he played quarterback. After serving in France during World War I, he returned to coach at Penn and Temple before entering the NFL world. In 1932, despite initially ridiculing the league's viability, Bell partnered with Lud Wray to purchase the Frankford Yellow Jackets, renaming them the Philadelphia Eagles—a name chosen via a contest or by Bell and Wray, with no established connection to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's use of the American eagle symbol. The franchise struggled financially in its early years; partners exhausted $85,000 (equivalent to $1,970,000 in 2025) before Bell bought out Wray at a public auction for just $4,500 (equivalent to $104,000 in 2025). To ensure stability, he proposed the NFL Draft in 1935, acting as Master of Ceremonies when the first draft kicked off in February 1936. This system allowed weaker teams to sign the best available players, a concept Bell fought for throughout his career.

In Their Own Story

In December 1940, after a disastrous 1–10 season, Bell stood as the sole proprietor of the Eagles following an auction that saw him bid $4,500. The team had lost money for years, and Bell even took over as head coach himself in an austerity measure, leading to a 1–11 finish. Despite these struggles, he remained committed to the league's growth. During World War II, while many owners considered suspending operations, Bell argued against shutting down the NFL until the war's conclusion. He later sold his ownership share in the Pittsburgh Steelers after being elected commissioner in 1946. As commissioner, he unilaterally crafted the entire league schedule to enhance late-season drama and tailored rules for television appeal during the Golden Age of Television. He also enforced a policy of blacking out local broadcasts to protect ticket sales. Amid pressure from Congress and criticism from owners, he recognized the NFLPA and facilitated the first player pension plan. Bell survived to oversee the "Greatest Game Ever Played" before dying on October 11, 1959.

Reader's Guide

Bert Bell's impact extends far beyond his ownership of the Eagles (1933–1940). He fundamentally altered professional sports by establishing the NFL Draft in 1936 to afford the weakest teams the first opportunity to sign top talent. His tenure as commissioner (1946–1959) saw the league evolve from a second-rate sport plagued by instability into a financially sound enterprise challenging Major League Baseball for preeminence. Bell oversaw the integration of the NFL, noting that while Fritz Pollard played in the 1920s, a "gentleman's agreement" had kept the sport segregated until four black players began playing in 1946. He also negotiated the merger with the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and introduced an anti-gambling policy. His legacy includes surviving to witness the league's rise during the Golden Age of Television, where he adjusted rules for mass media appeal. Bell was posthumously inducted into the charter class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• He lost $50,000 (equivalent to $940,000 in 2025) as a stock broker during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 before his father bailed him out.
• Bell purchased the Philadelphia Eagles for $4,500 at a public auction after partners exhausted $85,000 on the franchise.
• He acted as Master of Ceremonies when the first NFL Draft kicked off in February 1936.
• Bell was the force majeure in lobbying to get Pennsylvania Blue Laws deprecated so an NFL franchise could operate in Philadelphia.