2023-11-17 20:22:05
Established for enshrinees and their families in times of need.
The Rosenbloom Family has made a significant contribution to establish the Georgia Frontiere/Rosenbloom Family Assistance Fund – a special, restricted account at the Pro Football Hall of Fame dedicated solely to the support of enshrinees and their families during times of need.
Lucia and Chip Rosenbloomthe daughter and son of former National Football League franchise owners Carroll Rosenbloom and Georgia Borderssaid the donation represents a way to give back to the game, and the individuals who reached its highest level, as an ongoing tribute to their parents.
In a joint statement they said:
“Our father and mother loved the sport of professional football and those who played it and coached it. They felt strongly about supporting these individuals after their active careers had ended. Starting the Georgia Frontiere/Rosenbloom Family Assistance Fund will carry on their legacy in the game and will make profound differences in many lives.
“Our parents truly cared for the players. In fact, the biggest dream of our mother’s was to start a retirement home for players – like the Motion Picture Home in Los Angeles. They both recognized that those who helped build this great game sometimes reach a point in their lives when they need some help. If our parents were here, they would try to provide that help, so this fund simply represents and honors what we know they would be doing.”
Carroll Rosenbloom, whose storied history includes his advocacy for the welfare of the players, is recognized by many as the league’s first “modern owner.” He distinguished himself as a businessperson, successfully leading a clothing company in the post-Depression era before an opportunity in pro football presented itself in his native Baltimore. He invested $13,000 to become principal owner of the NFL’s new franchise in the city, owning the Baltimore Colts from 1953 to 1971. He then swapped franchises with the Irsay family and became owner of the Los Angeles Rams in 1972.
Under Rosenbloom’s ownership of the Colts and Rams (through 1979), he compiled the best ownership winning percentage in league history (.660), with combined team records of 226-116-8 in the regular season, along with three NFL championships – 1958, in “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, 1959 and 1968 – and a victory in Super Bowl V. Upon his death in 1979, his wife, Georgia, became majority owner of the team.
She was the only female owner in the league at any time during her tenure, which lasted until her death in 2008, and one of a tiny number to own a team in any professional sport in that era. She distinguished herself as an owner who cared deeply for the players – carrying on a tradition Carroll had started.
A native of St. Louis, Georgia moved the team there in 1995. The 1999 Rams – dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” – won Super Bowl XXXIV with several future Hall of Famers on the roster, including head coach DICK VERMEILa member of the Class of 2022.
Vermeil’s history with the franchise reaches back to 1969, when he was hired as the league’s first full-time special teams coach. Rosenbloom retained Vermeil when he made a head coaching change in 1973.
“I am unique in having had the pleasure of working with both Carroll and Georgia. Their kindness and generosity was at the highest level,” Vermeil said. “NFL players – especially retirees – and so many others in every community they touched have benefitted from their philanthropy. Personally, I will always be grateful to them.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is working with the Rosenbloom family to find opportunities for others to support the Georgia Frontiere/Rosenbloom Family Assistance Fund. A golf outing at an exclusive course in the Los Angeles area is planned for 2024, Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said today. It is expected to raise a significant amount to bolster the fund.
“The Hall of Fame is thrilled to support the Georgia Frontiere/Rosenbloom Family Assistance Fund and applauds Lucia and Chip for their continued dedication to the game and those who helped build it,” Porter said. “We appreciate their passion for sharing with others the example set by their dad and mom. We look forward to finding new and exciting ways to build the fund, thus preserving their parents’ legacy, and we encourage others to join in their family’s vision.”
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