Max Winter facts for kids
Max Winter (born June 29, 1903 – died July 26, 1996) was a smart businessman and sports leader from Minneapolis. He is best known for helping to create the famous Minnesota Vikings football team.
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Early Life and Education
Max Winter was born in Ostrava, a city that was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. Today, this city is in a country called Czechia. When he was young, Max and his family moved to the United States and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He finished high school at North High School in Minneapolis in 1922. After that, he went to Hamline University. He was a talented basketball player and even received a scholarship to play for the university team.
A Career in Sports
Max Winter loved sports. In 1947, he became a part-owner and general manager of the new Minneapolis Lakers basketball team. This team played in the National Basketball League. He worked with other important people like Ben Berger, Sid Hartman, and Morris Chalfen.
By the mid-1950s, Max Winter had a new goal. He wanted to bring a professional football team to Minneapolis. He tried to get a new team to join the National Football League (NFL). When that didn't work out, he and his partners decided to join a brand new league called the American Football League (AFL) in 1959.
Founding the Minnesota Vikings
Because the AFL was growing, the NFL decided to add new teams in 1960. They chose cities like Dallas and Minneapolis-St. Paul. On January 28, 1960, Max Winter and his group were given an NFL team for Minnesota. This meant they no longer needed to join the AFL.
The new team started playing in the 1961 season. On September 27, 1960, the team was officially named the Minnesota Vikings. Max Winter was one of the key people who founded the team. Other founders included Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, Ole Haugsrud, and Bernard H. Ridder, Jr.
Max Winter stayed involved with the Vikings for many years. He was on the team's board of directors until 1989. He also served as the team president from 1965 to 1987.
Max Winter's Legacy
Max Winter left a lasting mark on Minnesota sports. When the Minnesota Vikings built their main office and training center in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, they named it Winter Park. This was done to honor Max Winter and all his hard work.
Today, the Vikings' headquarters is in Eagan, Minnesota. But the name Winter Park remains a reminder of the man who helped bring professional football to Minnesota.
