Arch Ward | |
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| Born | (1896-12-27)December 27, 1896 Irwin, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | July 9, 1955(1955-07-09) (aged 58) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Columbia College,Notre Dame |
| Occupation | Sports editor |
| Employer | Chicago Tribune |
| Known for | Creator of theMLB All-Star Game and theGolden Gloves |
| Spouse | Helen |
| Children | 2 |
Archie Burdette Ward[1] (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for theChicago Tribune. He was the creator of theMajor League Baseball All-Star Game, theGolden Gloves amateur boxing tournament and theWorld Professional Basketball Tournament.[2]
Ward was born in 1896 inIrwin, Illinois, and attended Columbia Academy and Columbia College (nowLoras College) inDubuque, Iowa.[3] He worked for theTelegraph Herald in Dubuque in 1919.[3] Ward completed college at theUniversity of Notre Dame, where he worked as publicity director underKnute Rockne in 1919 and 1920,[3] before graduating in 1921.[4] Ward then worked for theStar inRockford, Illinois, during 1921–1925.[3] He joined theChicago Tribune in 1925, and became sports editor in 1930.[4]
Ward is credited with conceiving of anAll-Star Game inmajor-league-baseball, first contested in 1933.[4] He also created theGolden Gloves, an amateur boxing tournament, and theCollege All-Star Football Classic, an annual game between professional and college players.[4] The most valuable player at baseball's All-Star Game, first selected in 1962, was given the "Arch Ward Memorial Award" until the award was renamed in 1970 (since 2002, it has been formally named in honor ofTed Williams).
In 1941, Ward was offered the role ofCommissioner of theNational Football League (NFL), but turned it down.[5] He later started the rivalAll-America Football Conference (AAFC). He was quoted as being an "idealist", one that felt the NFL was a "cheap-john minor league outfit" which needed a major pro league like the AAFC to force the NFL to pay their players better.[5][a] Ward helped set up the first meeting of the organization that would become the AAFC on June 4, 1944, with word getting out about the league in late August of that year before a formal announcement on September 2, 1944.[6] The league lasted four seasons, with the sudden heart attack suffered byBenjamin F. Lindheimer in late 1949 (who owned three of the eight AAFC teams) being a key point of the demise of the league, with various members involved with the league saying that Ward turned the NFL into a major league in spite of itself.[7]
Ward published several collections of light content ("notes, verses and comments") from theChicago Tribune entitledIn The Wake Of The News Book and edited an anthology calledThe Greatest Sports Stories From Chicago Tribune. He also was the author of three sports-related books:[4]
Ward was involved in conservative political causes and as well as the hierarchy of theCatholic Church. Described as affable and mild mannered,[8] he was considered a dynamo with powerful contacts in American politics, church matters, and journalism.
Ward died in his sleep in 1955 at the age of 58, at his home onLake Shore Drive in Chicago;[9] his death was attributed to aheart attack.[8] He was survived by his wife, Helen, and a son; a daughter had predeceased him in 1940.[8] His funeral took place the same day as the1955 MLB All-Star Game.[4]
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