Bert Bell

Steelers co-owner (1941-46) Bert Bell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Bert Bell, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's charter class of 1963, served as the NFL's commissioner from 1946 to 1959 following stints as the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. It was Bell's idea to hold an annual college draft and his vision came to life in 1936 when the NFL held its inaugural draft.

Take a look at a collection of photos of Bert Bell, in one of 22 galleries featuring all Steelers Hall of Famers.

'ALL I EVER WANTED TO BE WAS A FOOTBALL MAN.'

Profile of NFL Commissioner 1946-1959, Bert Bell

The Bert Bell Memorial Football Conference provides football and cheerleading for the Suburban Philadelphia Area, including Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, and Delaware Counties as well as New Castle County, Delaware. The Conference is founded to further the ideals of the game of football at the school level. Its general purpose is to strive to equip boys and girls with the mechanical skills, physical condition and mental attitude necessary for the pursuance of the game at the high school and college level. Also, to teach through supervision and by example the principles of sportsmanship and fair play, without undue emphasis on winning or losing. This program shall be implemented in such a way as to make no sacrifice to scholastic achievement. Contrarily, it shall be the purpose to teach participants that eligibility for athletic activity is based on satisfactory performance in the classroom.

Photos to Bert Bell through the years!

Pos: Career: born in PA 1895, died 1959

Former Eagles owner formed idea to balance league's power structure

De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 - October 11, 1959) was the National Football League (NFL) commissioner from 1945 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's commercial viability and promote its popularity, and he helped make the NFL the most financially sound sports enterprise and preeminent sports attraction in the United States (US). He was posthumously inducted into the charter class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It wasn't long after Bert Bell was elected the National Football League's commissioner in January 1946, that he demonstrated he would be a fearless, tireless leader who would guide the league to new heights of popularity.

De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 - October 11, 1959) was co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, co-owner and coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and...