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| Richmond Times-Dispatch, 19-September-1920 |
I don't usually write about football in this blog, but the National Football League celebrates its 100th birthday today, 17-September-2020. The new league called itself the American Professional Football Association. Native American Jim Thorpe, winner of the Decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games and coach of the Canton Bulldogs, one of the ten teams, was elected president. Note that the newspaper misspelled his family name in the headline.
I couldn't find a reference to it in newspapers of the 17th and 18th, but I found this in the 19-September-1920 Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"JIM" THORP HEAD OF THE
FOOTBALL PROFESSIONALS
Famous Indian Athlete, Coach of
Canton Bulldogs Chosen President
of Association.
CANTON, OHIO, Sept. 18 -- James Thorpe, famous Indian football player and coach of the Canton Bulldogs, a local professional team, has been chosen head of the American Professional Football Association, the only professional football organization In the country.
Professional Football Association Representatives of eleven cities unanimously voted Thorpe to the presidency with Stanley Cofall, of Cleveland, as vice-president. and Art Tanney, of Akron, for secretary and treasurer.
At the meeting held here last night, Rock Island, Ill.; Rochester, N. Y.; Muncie, lnd.; Decatur, Ill.; Chicago, Cleveland, Dayton, Hammond, lnd.; and Akron teams were represented. A decision was reached to refrain from luring players out of college football for the professional football games.
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