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Charles W. "Charley" Bidwill Sr. (September 16, 1895 – April 19, 1947) was an American businessman. He was the owner of the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He owned the team for 14 seasons, the NFL campaigns running from 1933 through 1946. Bidwill was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 1967.


Early life

Bidwill was the son of
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
9th Ward
Alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
Joseph Edward Bidwill and Mary Anne Sullivan. His eldest brother Joseph Edward Bidwill Jr. was a
clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...
of the Chicago Circuit Court and his younger brother Arthur J. Bidwill was a Republican
State Senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...
. Loretta Mary Bidwill was his sister (1888–1973).


Before the Cardinals

Prior to his ownership of the Cardinals, Bidwill was a successful businessman and wealthy lawyer in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, with ties to
organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...
boss
Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...
. He was owner of a racing stable, the president of the Chicago Stadium Operating Company and owner of a printing company.Bob Carroll and Bob Braunwart
"Blue Shirt Charlies Big Red Dream,"
''Coffin Corner,'' vol. 3, no. 4 (1981); pp. 1–2.
Bidwill's only physical participation in athletics came only during his time at St. Ignatius High School and Loyola University. After graduation in 1916, he began his law practice, serving as assistant prosecutor for Chicago and corporation counsel. As a businessman, Bidwill was often referred to as "Blue Shirt Charlie" because he sometimes favored a blue shirt and high boots instead of the traditional white shirt and businessman's shoes. Bidwill was part owner of the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, after he helped
George Halas George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
buy Edward "Dutch" Sternaman's share of the team in 1933. According to Halas' account in his 1967 book, ''That's The Way the Ball Bounces,'' Bidwill purchased team stocks for $5,000: "From this desperate situation, I was rescued by the joint efforts of my mother and my good friend Charley Bidwill. Mother bought $5,000 worth of stock from her savings, Bidwill purchased $5,000 in stock and also arranged a bank loan for the remaining $5,000 needed to pay off Sternaman."


Chicago Cardinals


Purchase

One night in 1932, Dr. David Jones, the then-owner of the Cardinals, and his wife were guests at an informal dinner party aboard Bidwill's luxurious power-cruising yacht, ''The Ren-Mar''. Bidwill, then a vice president of the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, spoke with Jones that night and the conversation turned to pro football, with Jones complaining of the poor state of his team. Half-jokingly, Bidwill's wife, Violet, asked Jones, "Why don't you sell the Cardinals to Charley?" Jones replied that he would sell anything he owned if the price was right. Bidwill soon turned to Jones and the two began to discuss an offer. Bidwill went on to buy the Cardinals from Jones for $50,000. Bidwill handed Jones a down payment of $2,000 and the two men shook hands. The sale was not announced until 1933 to allow Bidwill time to dispose of his stock in the Bears. It was well known that Bidwill would have much preferred to buy the Bears, but
George Halas George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
refused to sell.


As the owner

In 1940 he tried but failed to buy the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. He then hired
Jimmy Conzelman James Gleason Dunn Conzelman (March 6, 1898 – July 31, 1970) was an American professional American football, football player and coach, baseball executive, and advertising executive. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964 a ...
as coach, who later quit as coach to work for the
St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...
.


World War II years

In
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
, due to World War II, many players were serving in the
United States military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, leaving a league-wide shortage of players. As a result, the Cardinals and the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
merged their teams for the season. The team's name
Card-Pitt Card-Pitt was the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League (NFL) teams, the Chicago Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, during the 1944 season. It was the second such merger for the Steelers, who had combined with ...
was quickly dubbed the "Carpets" by detractors, as "every team in the league walks over them". The team lost ten straight to post an 0–10 record.


The AAFC

After the war the AAFC placed a team in Chicago, the
Rockets A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
, which publicly pushed for the Cardinals to leave town. In
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
Bidwill outbid the Rockets for the rights to
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
Charley Trippi, signing him to a then record $100,000 contract. Trippi was the final piece of what Bidwill called his " Dream Backfield" of Paul Christman,
Pat Harder Marlin Martin "Pat" Harder (May 6, 1922 – September 6, 1992) was an American professional football player and official in the National Football League (NFL). He played as a fullback and kicker. Harder played college football for the Wiscons ...
, Marshall Goldberg, Elmer Angsman, and Trippi. They led the Cardinals to their first (and, to date, only) undisputed NFL championship in 1947.


Death and legacy

Bidwill died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
in April 1947, shortly after signing Trippi. His widow Violet inherited the team and operated it until her death in early 1962. During her tenure as the Cardinals owner, she and her second husband, Walter Wolfner, relocated the franchise to
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
in
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...
. Following her death, she left the team to her adopted sons from her first marriage, Charles Jr. and Bill. He is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 1967. Bill Bidwill bought his elder brother's share in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
. During Bill's time as owner, the team relocated once more, to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, in 1988, and since 1994 have been known as the Arizona Cardinals. He remained sole owner until his death in 2019. His son Michael Bidwill, who had been team president and operating head of the franchise since 2007, inherited the team. Only the Bears (owned by Halas and his descendants since 1921) and the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(owned by the
Mara family The Mara family is an Irish-American family primarily known for owning the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) since the franchise was formed in 1925. The Maras owned the team outright until 1991, when a feud led to one side of t ...
since their founding in 1925) have been in the hands of one family longer than the Cardinals.


Notes and references


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bidwill, Charles 1895 births 1947 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Illinois Chicago Cardinals owners Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees St. Ignatius College Prep alumni Businesspeople from Chicago Illinois lawyers Bidwill family