Highlights Archives
Curly Lambeau: Building the Green Bay Packers
While every Green Bay Packers fan has heard of Lambeau Field, not everyone knows the story of the person for whom the football stadium was named. But you can! Come hear Stuart Stotts, author of the new book Curly Lambeau: Building the Green Bay Packers, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, on Tuesday, December 11, at 12:15 p.m. at the Wisconsin Historical Museum. Stotts will share stories and images from the early days of the NFL as he charts the rise of legend Earl "Curly" Lambeau, the founder, player, coach, owner and original "Packer Backer."
America's only community-owned franchise had humble beginnings in the 1920s as a town team. Lambeau and sportswriter George Calhoun organized the Green Bay Packers in 1919 when the city's Indian Packing Company agreed to sponsor a local football team. Winning 10 of their first 11 games, the team obtained a franchise in the National Professional Football League in 1921, but financial troubles plagued the team and Lambeau lost the franchise. But in 1922, Lambeau, with the help of Green Bay Press Gazette general manager Andrew Turnbull, found new backers known as the "Hungry Five," who regained the franchise and formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.
Stotts' talk and book remind us that if it weren't for the vision of Curly Lambeau, we wouldn't have the record-setting team to root for today.
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:: Posted December 7, 2007
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