Dominic Olejniczak | |
|---|---|
 Olejniczak,c. 1960s | |
| Born | (1908-08-18)August 18, 1908 Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | April 16, 1989(1989-04-16) (aged 80) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Mayor of Green Bay | |
| In office 1945–1955 | |
| Preceded by | Alex Biemeret |
| Succeeded by | Otto Rachals |
| President, Green Bay Packers | |
| In office 1958–1982 | |
| Preceded by | Russ Bogda |
| Succeeded by | Robert J. Parins |
Dominic John Olejniczak (August 18, 1908 – April 16, 1989) was an American real estate broker, politician, andfootball executive. Olejniczak served as analderman ofGreen Bay, Wisconsin, from 1936 to 1944. He was then electedmayor, serving for 10 years from 1945 to 1955. During his tenure as mayor, a number of large infrastructure projects were completed and city administration was streamlined. Olejniczak was also known for his work with theGreen Bay Packers. Over a period of almost 40 years, Olejniczak served as a member of the board of directors, a vice president, president, and chairman of the board. His 24 years as president is the longest tenure of anyPackers president. During his presidency, he hiredVince Lombardi in 1959, the Packers won five championships, and the team saw its net worth grow over 5,000%. In recognition of his contributions, Olejniczak was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 and theNational Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. He died in 1989, after a series of strokes.
Dominic Olejniczak was born inGreen Bay, Wisconsin, to John and Victoria Olejniczak on August 18, 1908.[1] He attendedGreen Bay East High School and lived close toHagemeister Park, the home of theGreen Bay Packers at the time.[2]
Professionally, Olejniczak worked as areal estate broker, but he was also an elected official. He served asalderman from 1936 to 1944 and then as themayor of Green Bay from 1945 to 1955.[1] In his first election he ran on a platform that included streamlining city administration, infrastructure improvements, and expanding year-round recreation programs.[3] His 10 years in office was, at the time, the longest tenure of any Green Bay mayor.[4] Olejniczak won his first mayoral election in 1945 by only 83 votes.[5] The small margin necessitated a recount, and although some irregularities were noted, Olejniczak was certified the winner with 50.7% of the vote.[6][7] After the 1949 election, Olejniczak ran unopposed until his retirement in 1955. In an article noting his retirement, theGreen Bay Press-Gazette recounted numerous accomplishments during Olejniczak's tenure as mayor: improving city administration, infrastructure enhancements, and keeping tax rates low.[8] During his time as mayor, the city'sbeltline was planned and developed and a pipeline toLake Michigan was built to supply drinking water.[1] In recognition of Olejniczak's accomplishments, a sold-out dinner with 500 patrons was thrown in his honor.[9]
Olejniczak was a lifelong fan of the Packers. His childhood home was located close toCity Stadium, which at the time was located athis high school's grounds.[10] On July 10, 1950, Olejniczak was first elected to the board of directors ofGreen Bay Packers, Inc., the publicly-owned, non-profit organization that owns the Packers.[2][11] As mayor and director, he helped organize a stock drive that generated over $100,000 (roughly equivalent to $1.31 million in 2024) in revenue and helped prevent the team from folding.[12][13] Olejniczak was quickly promoted within the leadership of the Packers: in 1952, he was elected to the executive committee of the board of directors; in 1954 he was named one of two vice presidents; and in 1957, he was named executive vice president.[2] After the resignation and then death ofRuss Bogda, Olejniczak was elected as thenext president of the franchise.[10][14] When he took over the Packers presidency, the team had not had a winning record in 10 years, and thatfirst season in 1958 under first-year head coachRay McLean was the worst regular season record (1–10–1) in franchise history.[10]
Olejniczak was a strong advocate for building theNew City Stadium in 1957 (renamed "Lambeau Field" in 1965 after the death ofCurly Lambeau)[10] and led the search committee that hiredNew York Giants assistantVince Lombardi in early 1959.[15] Lombardi would go on to lead the Packers to one of the most successful periods in team history, with five championships and twoSuper Bowl victories in the 1960s. Re-elected for the final time in May 1981, Olejniczak resigned the following year on June 1, 1982.[2] After serving over 24 years as Packers president, more than anyone in the team's history, he was succeeded by judgeRobert J. Parins.[2][16] During his tenure, the Packers' net worth grew over 5,000% and Lambeau Field grew in size from 32,000 sears to over 57,000 seats. At that time, Olejniczak was named chairman of the board and served in that role until 1989.[2] He was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 andNational Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.[10][17] Packers' team historian Cliff Christl noted that Olejniczak "was a soft-spoken consensus-builder, but carried considerable clout while serving as president of the Packers".[2]
On November 24, 1938, Olejniczak married Regina Bettine atSt. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay. The couple had two sons,Tom Olejniczak and Mark Olejniczak.[1] Olejniczak was aRoman Catholic and a member of theKnights of Columbus. He received theKnighthood of St. Gregory and an honorary doctorate of law degree fromSt. Norbert College inDe Pere in 1986. He was also the first lay President of Premontre High School (laterNotre Dame de la Baie Academy).[1] Olejniczak died at age 80 at his home in Green Bay after numerous strokes.[1][15] His funeral at St. Mary's of the Angels parish was filled to capacity,[18] and he is buried at Allouez Catholic Cemetery in Green Bay.[19]