[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5489-H5493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      HONORING THE LIFE, LEGACY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF LAMAR HUNT

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 53) recognizing the life of Lamar Hunt 
and his outstanding contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs, the 
National Football League, and the United States.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 53

       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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such 
time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kansas City, Missouri, 
Representative Emanuel Cleaver, the sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, the National Football League, the American 
sports community and the business leadership in Western Missouri lost a 
true treasure on December 13, 2006, when the Kansas City Chiefs 
founder, Lamar Hunt, peacefully passed away at Presbyterian Hospital in 
Dallas, Texas, at the age of 74.
  Mr. Speaker, this great American is survived by his wife, Norma, and 
their four children, some of whom are here with us today.
  Lamar Hunt is recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen in American 
history. He served as the guiding force behind the formation of both 
the American Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Hunt 
served as a positive influence on the game of football for 47 years, 
dating back to his conception of the American Football League in 1959.
  He was the first AFL figure to be enshrined into the Pro Football 
Hall of Fame. This was a remarkable feat, if you consider that he had 
become involved in the game just 13 years earlier.
  It was Lamar Hunt who served as the catalyst, who brought together a 
group of people whimsically known as the ``Foolish Club.'' He was able 
to convince eight men to put money up to start a football league that 
no one thought could survive. This was truly an impossible dream. But 
the fledgling league took foot on the field for the 1960 season; and on 
June 8, 1966, the AFL-NFL merger was announced by the NFL Commissioner, 
Pete Rozelle. On January 15, Lamar Hunt's Kansas City Chiefs were 
participating in the first Super Bowl.
  It is worth noting that when the owners met after the merger and 
began to discuss this football game that would be the bowl game of bowl 
games, far more noteworthy than the Rose Bowl or the Cotton Bowl or the 
Sugar Bowl, it was Lamar Hunt who said the bowl game of bowl games 
should be called the Super Bowl, and thus was born what is now one of 
the most watched events on this planet.
  Before there was a player, coach or general manager in the league, 
there was Lamar Hunt. There was the late Patriots' owner William 
Sullivan who remarked at Hunt's Hall of Fame induction ceremony that 
``Hunt was the cornerstone, the integrity, of the league. Without him, 
there would have been no AFL.''

[[Page H5490]]

  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to serve as Mayor of Kansas City 
for 8 years. But even before that, during my time on the City Council, 
I had the great pleasure of meeting and working with Lamar Hunt. Over 
the years, I can tell you that I have met many, many men and women, 
some heads of state. I have met kings and one queen. I have never met a 
person on this Earth yet who had the humility of Lamar Hunt. I have 
never seen a man who did so much, who accomplished great things at the 
level of Lamar Hunt, who could walk around this Capitol and no one 
would know him because he would be opening doors for everyone and 
trying to serve.
  In the tradition of my religion, humility is held perhaps higher than 
any other characteristic. In fact, in my tradition, the great prophets 
all praised people with humility, and the pharisees, who did not have 
humility, who praised themselves, were denounced.
  Lamar Hunt was an innovator. For years and years he advocated the 
two-point conversion in the NFL. Finally, in 1994, the owners bought 
into the concept, which is why today there is a two-point conversion. 
This man would create things in his mind, and he had the ability to 
share those things.
  I attribute, as well as many other African Americans, Lamar Hunt with 
the credit for African Americans moving into all realms of pro 
football. Before the AFL, there were only a few African Americans 
playing in the NFL. For a lot of the young people who watch TV today, 
they would probably find that somewhat amusing. But it was quite 
possible in the 1950s and even the early 1960s to watch an NFL game and 
see maybe one or two and, in some instances, maybe no African Americans 
at all.
  But when Lamar Hunt started the AFL, he went to the Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities and began to create players. And what a 
crop of players he brought in.
  Willie Lanier, middle linebacker. In those days, and young people 
will probably find this amazing, people in sports would say African 
Americans can't play middle linebacker. That is the quarterback of 
defense. They can't play quarterback. Willie Lanier, who is in the 
building at this time, Mr. Speaker, became a member of the Pro Football 
Hall of Fame. He was the starting middle linebacker for the Kansas City 
Chiefs for 11 years.
  Then there was Buck Buchanan at a little school that most people had 
never even heard of, a black college called Grambling. Buck Buchanan, 
Pro Football Hall of Fame. Otis Taylor. And the list goes on and on. 
And when you look at all of the other teams in the AFL, they, too, 
would go into these schools. So in addition to being an innovator, he 
was a great humanitarian.
  Hunt was not able to ever see his long-held dream of hosting a Super 
Bowl in Kansas City. It was something that he worked on. But, before he 
died, the NFL owners passed a proposal to bring the NFL's championship 
game to Kansas City in February of the year 2015.
  Mr. Hunt was a great man, a great leader. He did a lot for our 
community. I had the pleasure of traveling with him around the world. I 
had the chance to see him in many, many situations; and I can tell you, 
this was a giant, even though he never tried to project himself as a 
giant in any situation, he tried to just blend in. But there is no way 
the history of the National Football League can be complete without a 
major section entitled ``Lamar Hunt.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in supporting H. Res. 53, 
which is to honor the life and legacy and accomplishments of Lamar 
Hunt.
  The National Football League, the American sports community, and the 
Business Community of Kansas City lost a true treasure on December 13, 
2006 when Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt peacefully passed away at 
Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas at the age of 74.
  He is survived by his wife, Norma and their four children, Lamar, 
Jr., Sharron Munson, Clark and Daniel. He was also the proud 
grandfather of 14 grandchildren. Recognized as one of the greatest 
sportsmen in American history, Hunt served as the guiding force behind 
the formation of both the American Football League and the Kansas City 
Chiefs franchise. Hunt served as a positive influence on the game for 
47 years dating back to his conception of the American Football League 
in '59. He was the first AFL figure to be enshrined into the Pro 
Football Hall of Fame in '72, a remarkable feat considering he became 
involved in the game just 13 years earlier. Hunt served as the 
catalyst, who brought together the whimsically-named ``Foolish Club'' 
comprised of the eight original AFL owners. His ``impossible dream'' 
became a reality when his fledgling league took foot on the field for 
the '60 season. On June 8, 1966, the AFL-NFL merger was announced by 
NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and on January 15, 1967, Hunt's Kansas 
City Chiefs were participating in the inaugural Super Bowl.
  ``Before there was a player, coach or a general manager in the league 
there was Lamar Hunt,'' late Patriots owner William Sullivan remarked 
at Hunt's Hall of Fame induction ceremony. ``Hunt was the cornerstone, 
the integrity of the league. Without him, there would have been no 
AFL.'' Despite his many accomplishments, Hunt's humility was one of his 
most unwavering and most endearing traits. While he modestly declined 
to take credit for his efforts, he truly played an important role in 
the design, ongoing development and direction of the modern-day 
National Football League. Whether it was serving as the driving force 
behind the formation of the AFL, serving as a key player in the AFL-NFL 
merger talks in the '60s, or overseeing many crucial issues concerning 
pro football and the Chiefs franchise during the past 4 decades, few 
individuals helped change the face of America's favorite game for the 
better than this quiet Texan. 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.''
  For many years, he was a persistent advocate of the 2-point 
conversion option for pro football--an old college and AFL rule that 
was finally adopted by the NFL in '94. Hunt had also lobbied for many 
years that an additional Thanksgiving game be added to the NFL schedule 
and in 2006, those efforts were rewarded when the Chiefs hosted the 
first-ever Thanksgiving contest at Arrowhead Stadium. Perhaps Hunt's 
biggest influence on the league over the years was his quiet, yet 
persuasive voice of reason. Hunt's name is rightfully mentioned 
alongside other legendary family surnames in pro football history such 
as Halas, Mara and Rooney for his commitment to putting the betterment 
of the league ahead of any potential individual gain. As the founder of 
the AFL, he helped pave the way for much of the modem growth of pro 
football. Possibly the greatest tribute to his contributions to the 
sport was the naming by the league of the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is 
presented annually to the champion of the American Football Conference. 
The early days of the AFL were problem-filled and often tenuous, but 
Hunt saw his Dallas Texans franchise achieve on-field success. In 1962, 
the Texans won the AFL Championship with a double-overtime victory over 
the Houston Oilers, the first of 3 titles won by the Texans/Chiefs 
during the league's 10-year existence.
  After three years in Dallas, Hunt moved his team to Kansas City in 
'63, where the organization was renamed the Chiefs. Hunt truly helped 
put Kansas City on the ``big-league'' map, thanks to a star-studded 
football team that was the winningest in the 10-year history of the 
American Football League. Hunt's team repeated as AFL champions in both 
1966 and 1969. By winning the 1966 AFL title, the Chiefs earned the 
right to play in the first Super Bowl against the NFL Champion Green 
Bay Packers. Three years later, the Chiefs claimed Kansas City's first 
major sports championship by defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super 
Bowl IV. In the late 1960s, Hunt was closely involved in the original 
development plans for Arrowhead Stadium, a facility which provided the 
Chiefs and their fans with one of the most decided home-field 
advantages in all of sports. While other venues of a similar vintage 
have long since been termed obsolete or have been demolished, Arrowhead 
continues to serve as a point of pride for the Chiefs and the Kansas 
City community.

  Thanks in large part to the vision and lobbying efforts of Hunt, 
Jackson County Missouri voters approved a 3/8 cent sales tax in April 
of 2006. That measure is expected to raise $425 million for the Truman 
Sports Complex, of which $325 million has been earmarked to renovate 
Arrowhead in order to bring the facility up to today's state-of-the-art 
standards. Those improvements should only further solidify Arrowhead's 
status as one of America's foremost sporting venues.
  Hunt's longtime dream of hosting a Super Bowl in Kansas City appeared 
to become a reality when NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced on 
November 16, 2005 that NFL owners had passed a proposal to bring the 
NFL's championship game to Kansas City in February of 2015.
  Unfortunately, a provision in April's election that would have 
resurrected the ``rolling roof'' concept for Arrowhead Stadium did not 
pass. The ``rolling roof'' was part of Hunt's initial vision for 
Arrowhead Stadium in the '60s. In its

[[Page H5491]]

21st century incarnation, the ``rolling roof'' would have provided a 
climate-controlled facility suitable for hosting the Super Bowl, the 
Final Four and other prestigious events.
  While Hunt did not realize his goal of seeing an NFL title game 
played in Kansas City, he worked diligently to bring other prominent 
sporting contests to Arrowhead over the years. The ``Home of the 
Chiefs'' served as host of the Dr Pepper Big 12 Conference Championship 
Game in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006. In addition to numerous other 
collegiate football contests, the Chiefs hosted several international 
soccer matches at Arrowhead thanks to Hunt's influence.
  Hunt's decision to hire Chiefs President, General Manager and CEO 
Carl Peterson in December '88 set the stage for a football renaissance 
in Kansas City. During the decade of the '90s, Hunt and Peterson, 
earned the distinction of becoming just the fourth Owner/General 
Manager combination to preside over a franchise for all 10 years of a 
100-win decade as Kansas City compiled a stellar 102-58 (.638) regular 
season record from '90-99. Under Hunt's stewardship, the Chiefs 
developed an intensely-loyal fan following, not just in Mid-America, 
but across the country and around the globe. Hunt took great 
satisfication in the fact that the Chiefs boasted season-ticket holders 
from 48 of the 50 states (all but Maine and Vermont), the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada. He was also appreciative of the fact 
that Kansas City was selected to represent the NFL in 4 American Bowl 
contests--Berlin, Germany ('90), Tokyo, Japan ('94, '98) and Monterrey, 
Mexico ('96).
  While the Chiefs always remained Hunt's most prized sporting entity, 
his passion for athletics encompassed more than just the game of 
football. Appropriately nicknamed ``Games'' during his childhood, 
Hunt's love of sports was his true lifeblood, an enthusiasm which led 
to his involvement in 6 different professional sports leagues and 7 
sports franchises.
  In addition to his formative role in the creation of the American 
Football League, Hunt was involved in the development of both the North 
American Soccer League and a tennis promotion company, World 
Championship Tennis. Hunt's involvement in those ventures resulted 
years later in his induction into the respective Halls of Fame of both 
United States Soccer (located in Oneonta, New York) in '82 and 
International Tennis (located in Newport, Rhode Island) in '93. He was 
also inducted into the state Sports Halls of Fame of both Missouri 
('95) and Texas ('84). In total, Hunt was selected to 8 ``Halls of 
Fame,'' including the Texas Business Hall of Fame ('97) and the Kansas 
City Business Hall of Fame (2004). In '81, Hunt was inducted into the 
NFL Alumni Association's prestigious Order of the Leather Helmet and in 
February of '93, he received the Francis J. ``Reds'' Bagnell Award from 
the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia for continuing positive 
contributions to the game.
  Truly a sportsman for all seasons, Soccer America Magazine named Hunt 
one of its ``25 Most Influential People'' in '99 after the 91-year-old 
U.S. Open Cup was renamed the ``Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.'' That same 
year he also 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. In 2005, the 
U.S. Soccer Foundation honored Hunt with its Lifetime Achievement 
Award. The Hunt Family served as the Investor/Operators of the Kansas 
City Wizards franchise of Major League Soccer from '95-06 and reveled 
as the Wizards claimed the 2000 MLS Cup. The Hunt Family still oversees 
the operations of 2 MLS franchises, F.C. Dallas and the Columbus Crew.

  The Hunt Sports Group has been at the forefront of stadium 
development in the United States, beginning with America's first 
soccer-specific stadium, 22,555-seat Crew Stadium which opened in '99. 
In 2005, Pizza Hut Park was completed in Frisco, Texas, giving the 
Dallas area one of the world's most unique and futuristic soccer 
facilities. Hunt was also one of the founding investors in the 6-time 
World Champion Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association. In 
total, Hunt was the owner of 13 distinctive championship rings from 5 
different professional sports associations (AFL/NFL, MLS, NBA, NASL and 
the U.S. Soccer ``Open Cup''). His football championship litany 
included a Super Bowl IV ring from the '69 Chiefs, as well as AFL title 
rings from the '62 Texans and '66 Chiefs. A highly-successful 
businessman outside of sports, one of Hunt's most notable innovations 
was Sub-Tropolis, the world's largest underground business complex, 
located just north of Arrowhead Stadium. This naturally climate-
controlled, subterranean industrial park serves as home to over 50 
local, national and international businesses. Hunt also envisioned and 
developed Worlds of Fun, a 165-acre family entertainment complex which 
opened in '73, as well as the 60-acre family water recreation park, 
Oceans of Fun which was completed in '82. While both of those entities 
were sold in '95, Hunt Midwest Enterprises, Inc. continues to oversee a 
diverse range of business interests, including limestone mining and 
real estate development.
  Hunt was born on August 2, 1932 in El Dorado, Arkansas and graduated 
from SMU with a B.S. in Geology in '56. While at SMU, he was a 3-year 
reserve end on the Varsity Football Team. Hunt was an avid supporter of 
his alma mater and was an annual fixture at the Cotton Bowl. He and his 
wife Norma were also involved in numerous philanthropic and civic 
efforts in Dallas, across the state of Texas and in the Kansas City 
community.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the world of professional sports lost one of its 
strongest enthusiasts this past December when Lamar Hunt lost his long 
battle with prostate cancer.
  Widely known throughout the professional sports industry, his 
inspirational career helped the National Football League, the Major 
Soccer League and the National Hockey League become the massive 
successes they are today.
  Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, and raised in Dallas, Texas, Lamar Hunt 
was a passionate sports fanatic. He played on his college football team 
at Southern Methodist University, but his real involvement began when 
he applied for an expansion to the National Football League in 1959. He 
was turned down, and a year later he decided with a group of eight 
others to form the American Football League. Facing tough competition 
from the NFL, he was determined to become the owner of a Texas football 
team. His first team ownership came with the founding of the Dallas 
Texans.
  A few years later, the team moved to Kansas City and became the 
Kansas City Chiefs, which Hunt would continue to own until the time of 
his death. His Chiefs went on to play in the first-ever Super Bowl 
game, which, by the way, was the term he coined as the championship 
game between the two leagues.
  Lamar Hunt was instrumental in the merger between the National 
Football League and the American football League in 1970. Beyond 
football, he made similar efforts in the fields of soccer, tennis and 
hockey. He helped establish the World Championship Tennis Circuit, 
Major League Soccer, and its predecessor, the North American Soccer 
League. At the time of his death, he owned two MLS teams, the FC Dallas 
and the Columbus Crew. He even furthered his ownership enterprise as 
one of the original owners of the Chicago Bulls NBA team.
  Among his numerous awards and honors, he has been inducted into the 
Pro Football Hall of Fame, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the 
International Tennis Hall of Fame. The American Football League trophy 
presented each year to the AFL champion team is aptly named the Lamar 
Hunt Trophy.
  It is only right that we honor Lamar Hunt for his innovation, 
dedication and enthusiasm to the national sports industry. His 
achievements in sports and charitable contributions, as well as his 
work in theme parks and industrial parks, are to be commended. He was 
an inspiration to those in the NFL, and his legacy will continue 
through his teams.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the 
consideration of H. Res. 53, which honors the life of Lamar Hunt and 
his outstanding contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs, the National 
Football League and the United States of America.

                              {time}  1630

  H. Res. 53, which has 52 cosponsors, was introduced by the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver) on January 11, 2007. H. Res. 53 was 
reported from the Oversight Committee on May 1, 2007, by voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, as already has been indicated, America lost a great 
sportsman and businessman when the Kansas City Chiefs football team 
owner, Mr. Lamar Hunt, passed away on December 13, 2006, at 
Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 74.

[[Page H5492]]

  Mr. William Sullivan, the late Patriots football team owner, said, 
``Before there was a player, coach or a general manager in the league, 
there was Lamar Hunt. Hunt was the cornerstone, the integrity of the 
league. Without him, there would have been no American Football 
League.''
  In the 1950s, Mr. Hunt on several occasions approached the National 
Football League to buy a franchise for his hometown of Dallas, Texas, 
but he was repeatedly denied. Frustrated by this, he decided to 
organize a rival pro football circuit, the American Football League, in 
1960. Mr. Hunt was the owner of the Dallas Texans, one of the eight 
original teams that formed the AFL. Mr. Hunt's Dallas Texans won the 
championship in 1962. Soon after, he moved the team to Kansas City in 
1963. He renamed them the Kansas City Chiefs. The team won the AFL 
championship in 1966, and the Super Bowl IV title in 1969.
  I want to commend my colleague Mr. Cleaver not only for introduction 
of this legislation, but his passionate indication of what the life of 
Lamar Hunt was, for his personal experiences and contributions not only 
to the game of football, but to the game of life.
  Listening to Representative Cleaver it becomes clear that not only 
was Mr. Hunt a giant of a football man, but he was a giant of a 
humanitarian, a giant of a man who could take ideas and convey those in 
such a way that others would buy into them, while at the same time 
continuing to live out the thoughts that Kipling had: If you can talk 
with kings and queens and not lose the common touch; if all men count 
with you, but none too much; and if you can fill the unforgiving moment 
with 60 seconds' worth of distance run, yours will be the world and all 
that is in it. And what is more, you will be a man, my son.
  Lamar Hunt was indeed a giant of a man. I urge passage of this 
legislation.
  Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of one of 
Kansas City's legendary figures.
  Lamar Hunt made a positive and lasting impression on Kansas City. He 
was a man who seemingly touched every life that crossed his path. He 
was known for his easy-going, engaging personality. He will be 
remembered not only for what he accomplished, but for the way he 
treated people.
  Mr. Hunt was an innovator. He is credited with making the National 
Football League what it is today. He coined the term ``Super Bowl'', 
championed the 2-point conversion and brought American soccer into the 
mainstream. He was inducted into 3 different professional sports halls 
of Fame--football, tennis and soccer.
  His beloved Kansas City Chiefs played in the American Football League 
and won the Super Bowl in 1969. The Chiefs are as much a part of Kansas 
City as barbeque and jazz, thanks to Mr. Hunt's leadership.
  Mr. Hunt though was an innovator in other ways too. He built both 
Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun as state of the art theme parks in 
Kansas City. He also built the Subtropolis Office Complex in the 
limestone caves around Kansas City.
  Mr. Speaker, simply stated, Lamar Hunt was a giant among men.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 
53, to recognize the life of Lamar Hunt and his outstanding 
contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs, the National Football League, 
and the United States.
  The National Football League and the American sports community lost a 
true treasure on December 13, 2006 when Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt 
passed away in Dallas, Texas at the age of 74. Lamar Hunt was an 
independent thinker, a trailblazer who refused to be denied his dream. 
Recognized as one of the greatest sportsmen in American history, Hunt 
served as the guiding force behind the formation of both the American 
Football League and the Kansas City Chiefs franchise.
  Hunt served as a positive influence on the game for 47 years dating 
back to his conception of the American Football League in 1959. He was 
the first AFL figure to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 
in 1972, a remarkable feat considering he became involved in the game 
just 13 years earlier.
  Hunt served as the catalyst who brought together the ``Foolish Club'' 
comprised of the 8 original AFL owners. His ``impossible dream'' became 
a reality when his fledgling league took foot on the field for the 1960 
season. On June 8, 1966, the AFL-NFL merger was announced by NFL 
Commissioner Pete Rozelle and on January 15, 1967, Hunt's Kansas City 
Chiefs were participating in the inaugural Super Bowl. Lamar Hunt's 
Kansas City Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl in 1970 and defeated the 
Minnesota Vikings by a score of 23-7 in Super Bowl IV.
  Despite his many accomplishments, Hunt's humility was one of his most 
unwavering and most endearing traits. While he modestly declined to 
take credit for his efforts, Hunt truly played an important role in the 
design, ongoing development and direction of the modern-day National 
Football League. Lamar Hunt was also a risk taker. He signed a great 
number of African-American players onto the Kansas City Chiefs football 
team at a time when few other football teams took that chance. So, 
Lamar Hunt rose above the crowd and nestled on top of the football and 
sports apex where few others sat.
  Whether it was employing more African-Americans, serving as the 
driving force behind the formation of the AFL, serving as a key player 
in the AFL-NFL merger talks in the '60s, or overseeing many crucial 
issues concerning pro football and the Chiefs franchise during the past 
4 decades, few individuals helped change the face of America's favorite 
game for the better than this quiet Texan.
  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.''
  As the founder of the AFL, he helped pave the way for much of the 
modern growth of pro football. Possibly the greatest tribute to his 
contributions to the sport was the naming by the league of the Lamar 
Hunt Trophy, which is presented annually to the champion of the 
American Football Conference.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
enormous contributions Lamar Hunt has made the sports world and beyond.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate the gentleman from 
Missouri, the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver, for spearheading the effort in 
Congress to honor Kansas City Chiefs Founder Lamar Hunt, who passed 
away in December 2006 after living a long and distinguished life. As 
the Fifth District's U.S. representative and the former mayor of Kansas 
City, Missouri, Mr. Cleaver understands better than anyone in the House 
how special Lamar Hunt's Chiefs are to the Kansas City community and to 
people all throughout the Show-Me State.
  Missouri's Fourth District, which I am privileged to represent, 
includes portions of the Kansas City suburbs and most of the rural, 
west central section of the State. Many of the Missourians who call the 
Fourth District home are proud Chiefs fans. They don jerseys, t-shirts, 
hats, and flags emblazoned with the red team color of the Chiefs and 
travel great distances to watch the Chiefs play at Arrowhead Stadium. 
Among the people, there is a great deal of pride for the Chiefs.
  Missourians who love the Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football 
League, NFL, owe a debt of gratitude to Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who 
in 1963 moved the Dallas Texans to Kansas City. For 40 years, Mr. Hunt 
owned and was a critical participant in the Chiefs football club. Under 
his leadership, the Chiefs won the American Football League 
Championship game in 1966 and in 1969 and won the National Football 
League Super Bowl IV Championship in 1970. And, while the team has been 
competitive through most of its history, it experienced a renaissance 
after Mr. Hunt hired General Manager Carl Peterson in 1988.
  Mr. Hunt also helped mold the direction of the modern-day NFL and 
served as the driving force behind the merger of the American and 
National football leagues in 1970. He founded the American Football 
League at the age of 27 and created and named the championship game 
known as the Super Bowl. Throughout his career, he advocated for 
innovative and progressive changes to enhance the NFL, including the 
inclusion of the two point conversion option for professional football, 
placing names on the backs of the uniforms, naming the Super Bowl 
trophy after Vince Lombardi, and adding another Thanksgiving game to 
the NFL schedule.
  In recognition of Mr. Hunt's work in football, he was enshrined in 
the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1972, was inducted into the 
NFL Alumni Association's prestigious Order of the Leather Helmet, and 
received the Francis J. ``Reds'' Bagnell Award from the Maxwell 
Football Club of Philadelphia. The NFL also named the American Football 
Conference, AFC, trophy, which is presented each year to the AFC 
champion, the ``Lamar Hunt Trophy.''
  In addition to football, Mr. Hunt was dedicated to other sports, 
including soccer, basketball, and tennis. He was also a highly 
successful businessman and philanthropist.
  Mr. Speaker, Lamar Hunt was a remarkable man. Though he was born in 
Arkansas and lived much of his life in Texas, his decision to establish 
the Kansas City Chiefs in Missouri has endeared him to Show-Me State 
residents. And, he made his mark in the history of

[[Page H5493]]

the United States by helping to create the NFL, which is revered by so 
many Americans. As the House of Representatives prepares to pass 
legislation today to honor Mr. Hunt's life and legacy, let us remember 
his unique contributions to Missouri and to our country.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize the late Lamar Hunt, a tireless contributor to the National 
Football League, NFL, and to the United States.
  Originally from El Dorado, Arkansas, Lamar Hunt was educated in Texas 
at Southern Methodist University, where he obtained a Bachelor of 
Science degree in Geology and served as a 3-year reserve end on the 
varsity football team.
  At the young age of 27, Hunt persevered through much criticism and 
founded the Dallas Texans, now known as the Kansas City Chiefs, and 
facilitated the creation of the American Football League. By 
undertaking these two tasks, he paved the way for the expansion of 
professional football.
  Hunt's impeccable management skills and keen perception of the game 
propelled him to spearhead groundbreaking developments in the NFL. 
These developments include, among many others, the installation of the 
2-point conversion option and the inclusion of names on the back of 
game jerseys. Although known for such contributions to the NFL, Hunt's 
commitment to the community went far beyond the football field.
  Hunt was an avid supporter of societal betterment, hosting and 
sponsoring many philanthropic efforts. He made significant financial 
contributions to higher learning institutions, the Heart of a Champion 
foundation, and the fine arts, notably the Dallas Symphony Orchestra 
and the Dallas Museum of Art.
  In closing, Lamar Hunt was a very special man who touched the lives 
of many Americans. I am delighted and honored to recognize such a 
distinguished, forward thinking gentleman, and I urge my colleagues to 
join me in saluting this remarkable citizen.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of 
H. Res. 53, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this 
resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 53.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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