Archie Burdette Ward (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for the ''
Chicago Tribune''. He was the creator of the
Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the
Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament.
Biography
Ward was born in 1896 in
Irwin, Illinois, and attended Columbia Academy and Columbia College (now
Loras College) in
Dubuque, Iowa.
[ He worked for the '' Telegraph Herald'' in Dubuque in 1919.][ Ward completed college at the University of Notre Dame, where he worked as publicity director under ]Knute Rockne
Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...
in 1919 and 1920,[ before graduating in 1921.][ Ward then worked for the '']Star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
'' in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
, during 1921–1925.[ In 1941, he was offered the role of ]Commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
of the National Football League (NFL), but turned it down.[ He later started the rival ]All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the ...
(AAFC).[
* '' Frank Leahy and the Fighting Irish'' (1944)
* ''The ]Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
'' (1946)
* ''The New Chicago White Sox'' (1951)
Ward was involved in conservative political causes and as well as the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Described as affable and mild mannered,[ he was considered a dynamo with powerful contacts in American politics, church matters, and journalism. Ward died in his sleep in 1955, aged 58, at his home on ]Lake Shore Drive
Lake Shore Drive (officially Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable Lake Shore Drive, and called DuSable Lake Shore Drive, The Outer Drive, The Drive, or LSD) is a multilevel expressway that runs alongside the shoreline of Lake Michigan, and adjacent to ...
in Chicago;[ He was survived by his wife, Helen, and a son; a daughter had predeceased him in 1940.][
]
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Arch
1896 births
1955 deaths
People from Kankakee County, Illinois
Writers from Chicago
Sportswriters from Illinois
Chicago Tribune people
Loras College alumni
University of Notre Dame alumni
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
All-America Football Conference
Golden Gloves