Ralph Wilson facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | October 17, 1918 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died: | March 25, 2014 (aged 95) Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | University of Virginia University of Michigan Law School |
| Career history | |
| As executive: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–46 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Ralph Cookerly Wilson Jr. (October 17, 1918 – March 25, 2014) was a smart American businessman and a leader in sports. He is best known as the person who started and owned the Buffalo Bills football team. This team plays in the National Football League (NFL). Ralph Wilson was one of the people who helped create the American Football League (AFL). The AFL later joined with the NFL in 1970. He was the last of the original AFL owners to still own his team. When he passed away at 95, he was the oldest owner in the NFL. He was also one of the longest-serving owners in NFL history. In 2009, he was honored by being added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Ralph Wilson: A Life of Business and Football
Early Life and Business Start
Ralph Wilson grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His father was a salesman. Ralph went to the University of Virginia for college. After that, he studied law at the University of Michigan Law School. Before Pearl Harbor, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served during World War II in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
After the war, Ralph took over his father's insurance business. He also put his money into mines and factories in Michigan. Over time, he bought many manufacturing companies and construction firms. He also owned television and radio stations. He created his own company, Ralph Wilson Industries.
Founding the Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson heard about Lamar Hunt's idea for a new football league. This league, the American Football League (AFL), was created to compete with the NFL. Ralph first tried to start a team in Miami, but it didn't work out. His next choice was Buffalo. The first person asked to start a team in Buffalo said no.
In September 1959, Ralph Wilson sent a message to Lamar Hunt. It said, "Count me in with Buffalo." He named his new team the Bills. This name came from a previous Buffalo team that played from 1946 to 1949. On October 28, 1959, the Buffalo Bills officially became the seventh team in the AFL. Ralph Wilson made professional football very successful in Buffalo. He signed famous players like Cookie Gilchrist, Jack Kemp, and Tom Sestak. He also signed future Hall of Famers Billy Shaw and O. J. Simpson.
Helping the AFL Grow Strong
Ralph Wilson was a key person in making the AFL successful. He helped create rules that shared money from ticket sales and TV deals. This helped all the teams. He was one of only three AFL owners who had a lot of money. The others were Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams.
Because he was financially stable, Ralph Wilson lent money to teams that were struggling. For example, he lent $400,000 to the Oakland Raiders. He also offered to lend money to Billy Sullivan of the New England Patriots. By helping these teams, Ralph Wilson likely saved the entire AFL from failing. No team in the AFL ever went out of business. This was unique for a professional football league.
In November 1963, Ralph Wilson and Al Davis of the Raiders pushed for AFL games to be postponed. This happened the Sunday after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. NFL games were played as planned that day.
Ralph Wilson Stadium
After the original naming deal for the Bills' stadium ended in 1998, its name changed. It went from Rich Stadium to Ralph Wilson Stadium. It kept this name until 2016, after Ralph Wilson passed away. He was known for being "stubborn" and turned down many offers to sell the stadium's naming rights.
A Strong Voice in the NFL
Ralph Wilson was known for speaking his mind. He was one of the most outspoken owners, even when he was very old. In 1995, he voted against the Cleveland Browns moving to Baltimore. In 1998, he publicly criticized the NFL Commissioner, Paul Tagliabue. This was because of a rule that stopped owners from criticizing referees. Poor referee calls had directly affected a Bills game that season.
He was also one of only two owners who disagreed with the league's old player agreement. This agreement later led to the 2011 NFL Lockout. Many people praised Wilson and Mike Brown for seeing this problem early. Ralph Wilson also made a deal for his team to play some home games in Toronto from 2008 to 2014.
Ralph Wilson stepped down as team president in 2001. He gave control to General Manager Tom Donahoe. But he took back control in 2006. He retired again as team president on January 1, 2013. This time, he gave all control to Russ Brandon. He continued to advise Brandon until his death.
Personal Life and Interests
Ralph Wilson lived in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. He lived there with his wife, Mary McLean. He had three daughters from his first marriage. Two of his daughters worked with the team. Linda Bogdan was the first female scout in professional football. She was a Vice President for the team until she passed away. His daughter Christy Wilson Hofmann worked as a consultant for team merchandise.
Ralph Wilson also had a valuable art collection starting in the 1990s. It included famous paintings by artists like Claude Monet and Édouard Manet. His collection was worth millions of dollars. He was also a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Freemason.
Final Years and Legacy
In July 2011, Ralph Wilson broke his hip. This caused him to miss the Bills' first home game of the season. It was the first time he had ever missed one. He needed to use a wheelchair after this injury. He was also hospitalized in 2012 for an infection and missed the entire 2012 season.
Ralph Wilson passed away at his home on March 25, 2014. He was 95 years old. After his death, his family held the team in a trust. It was then sold to Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula in September 2014. The money from the sale was used to start the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. This foundation helps charities in the Buffalo and Detroit areas. Ralph Wilson had planned this before he died. The donation was $1.2 billion and will be given away over the next twenty years.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Honor
On January 31, 2009, Ralph Wilson was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted along with former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game that year was played by two original AFL teams: the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans. This was announced after Wilson was elected.
Like Wilson, Titans owner Bud Adams was the only owner his team had ever had. Wilson and Adams were the only living members of the "Foolish Club". This was the name for the people who founded the first eight AFL teams. Wilson and Adams are two of only four men who have owned a professional football team for fifty years straight.
Ralph Wilson was officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2009. ESPN personality Chris Berman introduced him. Ralph Wilson also donated $2.5 million to build a "Pro Football Research and Preservation Center" at the Hall of Fame. This building was named in his honor on August 13, 2012.
Ralph Wilson's Love for Horses
Ralph Wilson was also very involved in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was both a breeder and an owner of racehorses in France and the United States. He bred a famous horse named Jim French, who won the Santa Anita Derby. He also bred Arazi, a European superstar horse. Arazi won the 1991 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was named European Horse of the Year. Another horse he owned, Outta Here, raced in the 2003 Kentucky Derby.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
Ralph Wilson was a very generous person. Many places are named after him because of his donations:
- The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York.
- The Mary & Ralph Wilson Jr. Hospice Inpatient Unit of Hospice Buffalo.
- The Wilson Building in Cheektowaga, New York.
- The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Athletic Field at the NFL/Youth Education Town-Boys & Girls Club in Detroit, Michigan.
- The Ralph C Wilson Jr. Foundation has made huge donations.
- It gave two $100 million donations to park systems in Buffalo and Detroit. These were in honor of Wilson's 100th birthday. The Buffalo donation was the largest gift ever given to a charity in Western New York.
- It gave a $6 million grant to the Explore & More Children's Museum in Buffalo. The museum was renamed after Wilson.
