By Darin Imagine a single afternoon that laid the foundation for modern sports culture. On June 24, 1922, the landscape of American sports changed forever when a struggling, two-year-old sports association officially changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). That same historic meeting witnessed the structural birth of two of the sport’s greatest rivalries: the readmission of a penalized Green Bay Packers squad and the official rebranding of the Chicago Staleys into the Chicago Bears. Alongside these seismic franchise shifts, June 24th marks the birthdays of iconic gridiron trailblazers like Ron Kramer and Bill Kelly, who defined the era of open-field magic and championship grit.
Rowland R. Murdoch (1876–1917)
June 24 American Football History Timeline
- June 24, 1922 – The American Professional Football Association (APFA) voted to officially change its name to the National Football League per NFL.com.
- June 24, 1922 – Green Bay Packers Readmission: At the League meetings, the Green Bay Packers were readmitted after being ousted earlier in the year for using college players under assumed names, and a private club was awarded the franchise. [Source]
- June 24, 1922 – Chicago Bears Renaming: At the APFA League meetings, team founder, owner, and head coach George Halas officially changed the Chicago Staleys’ name to the Chicago Bears. [Source]
June 24 Football Hall of Fame Birthdays
Happy Birthday to these iconic gridiron trailblazers! As we look ahead to June 24, we celebrate four College Football Hall of Famers who came up through the ranks when the game was defined by open-field magic and relentless trench warfare.
Here is your list in order of birth:
- Gaylord Stinchcomb [1895] A remarkably quick and shifty halfback, “Pete” Stinchcomb stepped in perfectly following the graduation of legendary Chic Harley, leading Ohio State to a perfect regular season and their first-ever Rose Bowl appearance in 1920. The 1973 College Football Hall of Fame inductee went on to become a two-time All-Pro for the Chicago Bears during the infancy of professional football.
- Bill Kelly [1905] An electrifying open-field wizard who famously played without a helmet, “Wild Bill” Kelly was the scourge of the Skyline country, racking up nine touchdown runs over 40 yards in a single season and returning five career kickoffs for scores at Montana. Later named the all-time quarterback of the East-West Shrine Game, the 1969 Hall of Fame inductee’s brilliant life was tragically cut short when he passed away while watching a football game at just 26 years old.
- Hollie Donan [1924] Praised by legendary coach Charlie Caldwell as the finest tackle he ever instructed, the massive 6’5″, 230-pound Donan was an unstoppable force who anchored Princeton’s front wall during their dominant rise in the mid-century era. A 1984 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, he missed only two minutes of defensive action during the entire 1950 campaign, leading the Tigers to an undefeated season and the prestigious Lambert Trophy.
- Ron Kramer [1935] One of the greatest nine-letter varsity athletes in Michigan history, Kramer was a fierce, combative end who could catch, block, and punt with elite proficiency, earning two consensus All-American nods and a spot on the All-Time Big Ten Team. The 1978 College Football Hall of Fame inductee took his talents to the pros as a first-round draft pick for the Green Bay Packers, where he won consecutive NFL Championships under Vince Lombardi in 1961 and 1962.
Conclusion
From a monumental boardroom meeting in 1922 to the individual exploits of Hall of Fame legends, June 24th stands as one of the most critical calendar dates in gridiron history. The structural pivots made by George Halas, Curly Lambeau, and early league executives laid the exact blueprint for the multi-billion-dollar entertainment powerhouse we enjoy every Sunday. When paired with the enduring legacies of mid-century icons like Ron Kramer and Hollie Donan, this date serves as a powerful reminder of how humble roots, strategic rebranding, and raw athletic talent coalesced to build America’s ultimate game.