Dan M. Rooney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan M. Rooney
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Official portrait, 2009
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| United States Ambassador to Ireland | |
| In office July 3, 2009 – December 14, 2012 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Thomas C. Foley |
| Succeeded by | Kevin O'Malley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Daniel Milton Rooney
July 20, 1932 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 13, 2017 (aged 84) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Patricia Regan
(m. 1952–2017) |
| Children | 9, including Art Rooney II |
| Parents | Art Rooney Kathleen McNulty |
| Relatives | Rooney family Kate Mara (grandniece) Rooney Mara (grandniece) |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University |
| Awards | CBE (honorary) |
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Football career |
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| Position: | President/Owner |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Cranberry (PA) North Catholic |
| College: | Duquesne |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Daniel Milton Rooney (born July 20, 1932 – died April 13, 2017) was an important American leader in sports and government. He was best known for his long connection with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a famous American football team in the National Football League (NFL). Dan was the son of the Steelers' founder, Art Rooney. He held many important jobs with the team, including president, owner, and chairman.
Rooney had a special way of leading the team. He believed in being open, practical, and efficient. The Steelers became very successful under his leadership. They won 15 division championships, eight AFC Championships, and an amazing six Super Bowl titles. This is an NFL record! In 2000, he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his big impact on the game. He also helped create the "Rooney Rule". This rule makes sure that NFL teams interview at least one minority candidate for head coach and general manager jobs.
Outside of football, Rooney also served his country. He was the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. He also helped start The Ireland Funds, an organization that raises money for Ireland-related causes.
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Early Life and Education
Daniel Milton Rooney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents were Kathleen McNulty and Art Rooney, who founded the Pittsburgh Steelers. From a young age, Dan was involved with the Steelers. He often helped his father at the team's stadiums, Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field.
He grew up in the North Side area of Pittsburgh. He went to North Catholic High School, where he was a great quarterback for the football team. He even coached the St. Peter's Elementary school football team. A future CIA Director, Michael Hayden, was his quarterback on that team. Dan learned a lot about the business side of football from mentors like Fran Fogerty and Joe Carr. After studying accounting at Duquesne University, he knew he wanted to work in football.
Career in Football
In 1960, Dan Rooney started working for the Steelers as the director of personnel. This meant he helped decide which players to hire. By 1969, he was in charge of the team's daily operations. He personally chose Chuck Noll to be the new coach. In 1975, Rooney became the team president. This gave him full control over how the team was run. His father, Art Rooney, remained Chairman until he passed away in 1988.
Dan Rooney usually stayed out of the spotlight. But he was a very active owner behind the scenes. He helped solve a big player strike in 1982, which lasted for half a season. Many people, including other team owners and players, gave him credit for ending it. He also helped create the salary cap in 1993. This rule limits how much money teams can spend on player salaries.
After his father died, Dan became the main owner of the team. In 2003, he started to pass on the daily management to the next generation. His son, Art Rooney II, took over full control of the Steelers. Dan remained the chairman and a public face of the team.
In 1995, Rooney tried to stop the Cleveland Browns, a big rival, from moving to another city. He was one of only two owners who voted against the move. He also worked hard to make sure the Browns eventually returned to Cleveland in 1999.
Steelers Ownership Changes
In 2008, Dan Rooney and his son, Art Rooney II, announced they wanted to buy out his brothers' shares in the team. Some of his brothers wanted to focus on their other businesses, like racetracks. The NFL has rules about team owners having interests in gambling businesses. The Rooney family owned racetracks that had slot machines, which the NFL considered casinos.
To follow NFL rules, the family needed to change how the team was owned. This led to talks about selling parts of the team or changing who controlled it. The goal was to keep the Steelers in the Rooney family. Dan Rooney worked with financial groups to find new investors. These investors would become partners and help the Rooney family keep control of the team. In the end, the family was able to restructure the ownership. This allowed Dan and Art II to remain in charge of the Steelers.
Ambassador to Ireland
On March 17, 2009, President Barack Obama announced he had chosen Dan Rooney to be the next U.S. ambassador to Ireland. President Obama mentioned Rooney's long history of supporting Irish-American charities.
Hillary Clinton, who was Secretary of State at the time, officially swore him in on July 1, 2009. Rooney then presented his official papers to Irish President Mary McAleese on July 3. He then gave his first official speech at a lunch in Ireland.
In April 2011, Rooney said he might resign as ambassador to help President Obama's re-election campaign. He later clarified that he was happy with his work as ambassador and planned to continue his duties. On December 14, 2012, he resigned as ambassador and returned to Pittsburgh. Kevin O'Malley later took his place in 2014.
Personal Life and Legacy
Dan Rooney was married to his wife, Patricia Regan, for 65 years. They met when she worked at the Steelers' office. They had nine children together, though two of his daughters passed away before him. He was also the great-uncle of famous actresses Kate Mara and Rooney Mara.
In 2008, Rooney surprised many people by publicly supporting Barack Obama for president. His family had usually kept their political views private. Rooney said he had "great hope" for America with Obama as president.
Rooney supported many good causes. He helped fund the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. He was also a Vice-Chairman of The American Ireland Fund. He helped start The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2008, he received an honorary award called the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He also won the Jack Horrigan Memorial Award in 2009 for his helpfulness to football writers. In 2016, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.
Death
Dan Rooney passed away on April 13, 2017, at the age of 84. Many important people attended his funeral in Pittsburgh, including former president Barack Obama and former Secretary of State John Kerry. He was buried in Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Cemetery in Ross Township, Pennsylvania.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2009
See also
- List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines
