Lamar Hunt
(1932-2006)
Inducted - Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Where is Lamar Hunt in the Hall of Famous Missourians?
Recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen in American history, Lamar Hunt, owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and the founder of the American Football League, helped pave the way for much of the modern growth of pro football. Possibly the greatest tribute to his contributions to the sport is the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is presented annually to the champion of the American Football Conference.
In addition to being a principal negotiator in the merger of the AFL and NFL in the late ‘60s, he was a contributor to the design of the NFL playoff format. He is also credited with accidentally putting the name “Super Bowl” on the NFL’s championship game — the name coming from his children’s toy “Super Ball.”
While the Chiefs always remained Hunt’s most prized sporting entity, his passion for athletics encompassed more than just football. During his life, Hunt was involved in the development of six different professional sports leagues and seven sports franchises. He also made multiple contributions to professional soccer and was the founder and owner of the Kansas City Wizards soccer team. In addition to his sporting contributions, Hunt made lasting contributions to the area with the development of the Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun family recreation parks. The highly successful businessman also developed SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex, located just north of Arrowhead Stadium. |