[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 53 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
May 21, 2007.
Whereas Lamar Hunt was born on August 2, 1932, in El Dorado, Arkansas;
Whereas Lamar Hunt graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor
of Science in Geology in 1956, and was a 3 year reserve end on the
varsity football team and was a distinguished alumni and avid supporter;
Whereas at the age of 27, Lamar Hunt created the American Football League and
founded the Dallas Texans, which were later renamed the Kansas City
Chiefs when Hunt relocated the team in 1963;
Whereas for 40 years Lamar Hunt owned and was a vital participant in the Kansas
City Chiefs Football Club and created the Championship Game between the
American Football League and the National Football League that became
known as the Super Bowl, a moniker Hunt coined;
Whereas under the leadership of Lamar Hunt, the Kansas City Chiefs won the
American Football League Championship game in 1962, 1966, and 1969, and
won the National Football League Super Bowl IV Championship in 1970;
Whereas Lamar Hunt, a man of unwavering and deep humility, played an important
role in the design, ongoing development, and direction of the modern-day
National Football League and served as the driving force behind the
merger of the American and National football leagues in 1970;
Whereas Lamar Hunt advocated for innovative and progressive changes to enhance
football in the National Football League, including the installation of
the 2-point conversion option for professional football, names on the
backs of the uniforms, that the trophy given to the winner of the Super
Bowl be named in honor of the late and revered Vince Lombardi, and an
additional Thanksgiving game be added to the National Football League
schedule;
Whereas Lamar Hunt's biggest influence on the professional football over the
years was his quiet, yet persuasive voice of reason;
Whereas Lamar Hunt's name is rightfully mentioned alongside other legends in
professional football history for his commitment to putting the
betterment of the professional football leagues ahead of any potential
individual gain, few individuals helped change the face of American
football for the better than this quiet Texan;
Whereas Lamar Hunt, as the founder of the American Football League, helped pave
the way for much of the modern growth of professional football;
Whereas possibly the greatest tribute to his contributions to the sport was the
naming by the American Football League of the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which
is presented annually to the champion of the American Football
Conference;
Whereas Lamar Hunt was also one of the founding investors in the 6-time World
Champion Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and was
the owner of 13 distinctive championship rings from 5 different
professional sports associations, including the American Football League
and National Football League, Major League Soccer, National Basketball
Association, North American Soccer League, and the United States Soccer
``Open Cup'';
Whereas in total, Lamar Hunt was selected to 8 Halls of Fame, including the
United States Soccer Hall of Fame in 1982, the International Tennis Hall
of Fame in 1993, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the Texas
Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, the Texas Business Hall of Fame 1997, and
the Kansas City Business Hall of Fame 2004;
Whereas Lamar Hunt was the first American Football League figure to be enshrined
into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1972;
Whereas in 1981 Lamar Hunt was inducted into the National Football League Alumni
Association's prestigious Order of the Leather Helmet and in February of
1993, and received the Francis J. ``Reds'' Bagnell Award from the
Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia for continuing positive
contributions to the game;
Whereas in 1991 the 91-year-old U.S. Open Cup was renamed the ``Lamar Hunt U.S.
Open Cup.'';
Whereas that same year Lamar Hunt received the U.S. Soccer Federation Hall of
Fame Medal of Honor, joining former U.S. Soccer President Alan
Rothenberg as the only other individual to earn that prestigious
distinction;
Whereas in 2005 the U.S. Soccer Foundation honored Lamar Hunt with its Lifetime
Achievement Award;
Whereas Lamar Hunt brought smiles to millions of children who walked through the
gates of his twin theme parks in Kansas City, Worlds and Oceans of Fun;
Whereas in addition to his outstanding leadership of the Kansas City Chiefs,
Lamar Hunt served his community throughout his lifetime through
philanthropic endeavors and the donation of his time in both Kansas City
and Dallas;
Whereas 2 of the projects closest to Lamar Hunt included Southern Methodist
University, his alma mater where he served as co-chairman of the
university's campaign that raised $60,000,000 to build a new 32,000-seat
football stadium that opened in 2000 and to which he and his wife Norma
donated $5,000,000; and the Heart of a Champion Foundation, a nonprofit
foundation that he launched in 2001;
Whereas Lamar Hunt was also a supporter of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas
City, and was a benefactor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas
Museum of Art, and a host of causes related to children's charities,
education, and fine arts; and
Whereas on December 13, 2006, Lamar Hunt succumbed to cancer at the Dallas
Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas at the age of 74: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives, on this occasion less than one
month after the death of Lamar Hunt--
(1) expresses its deepest condolences to Lamar Hunt's wife of 42
years, Norma, his 4 children, Lamar Jr., Sharon Munson, Clark, and
Daniel, and his 14 grandchildren; and
(2) recognizes the outstanding contributions that Lamar Hunt made to
the Kansas City Chiefs, the National Football League, and the United
States.
Attest:
Clerk.