Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • Page 95

Green Boy Press-Gazette Sunday, Sept. 21, 1969 R-5 Executives Have Influenced Development of Packers By LEE REMMEL during the Packers' tribulations 'accident In 1932," Ward reported and triumphs for more than a 'in his book. i- tl tl V-'' Vt I I quarter century. Kelly's strong point, you might say, was psychiatry," Leicht noted in a fond trek down memory lane. "He could pick up a player who wasn't so good, talk to him and put that fire back in him.

Doc Kelly was real good at that." Perennial Toaslniaster "It was in Joannes' old-fashioned headquarters in the grocery establishment that the leading men of the town answered Lee's "Are we going to fold up?" with a ringing "No!" which you could have heard out in the hills of Baird's Creek Park." Endorsed Not4U Assessing Joannes' tenure, Leicht observed, "With his energy and his drive, he certainly gave us great leadership. He had a strong voice in the league and was respected, too. He also gave us financial help. He and Emil Fischer both would endorse notes for the corporation when we were short." In his book, Arch Ward noted Prui-Ciitttt Sportt Writer The average football buff is In-clined to Identify the Packer success story, easily the most intriguing in the history of professional sports, with the late E. L.

(Curly) Lambeau and Vince Lombardi. And not without some justification. Certainly they were the catalysts and chief architects of the two golden eras the Packers have known. But there have been others, operating at the administrative level and largely- behind the scenes, who also have had profound influence upon the development of the sports wonder of the world. A.

B. Turnbull Ray Ev-rard Dr. W. W. Kelly L.

H. Joannes Emil R. Fischer Russell W. Bogda Dominica Olejniczak that, as the team's first phys ician, "the only remuneration he received came from the insurance company which he served in other capacities. The Doc was one of those who climbed into the ramshackle fleet of five or six cars which conveyed the first teams to their out-o-town games.

"He served as president of the club, its perennial toastmaster at banquets and luncheons, and several times has been threa tened by players with kidnapp ing when he said he'd have to Left an Imprint Though they seldom made the headlines, all of these have left their Imprint upon the course of Packer history, punctuated by a number of major crises as well as the artistic and financial prosperity which has illumined leave the team on out-of-town trips. He has been the true con the tearrf's founder and first coach; A. B. Turnbull, first corporation president; Fred Leicht, L. II.

Joannes, E. R. Fischer, Frank Jonet, and H. J. (Tubby) Bero.

The only two now living are Leicht and Joannes. (Press-Gazette Photo) Packer Pioneers These men, photographed at a luncheon meeting in the old Beaumont Hotel, played major roles in the development of the Packers from a sandlot team into a national institution. They are, from left, Gerald (Gerry) Clifford, E. L. (Curly) Lambeau, fidant of every Packer, past and present." recent seasons and Turnbull and his associates ing the Oneida Golf Club and "We didn know whether we happy to state, never had to be this hobby when he arrived Turnbull, for prime example, Fischer, owner of a cold storage firm, saw the Packer through some of their most dif-ficut years in the late 1940s and early '50s years marked by the departure of Lambeau for the Chicago cardinals and a nearly disastrous dollar war between the National Football League and the Ail-American Conference.

As with Turnbull and Joannes, his influence reached beyond Wisconsin. When the NFL absorbed the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts in December of '49, Fischer was elected president of the league's new National division. Sot Unexpected Less than amonth later, he found it necessary to lead a search for a new coach when Lambeau, at odds with the team's board of directors, sign Joannes, now living In retirement at Tucson, headed the Packers' corporate structure longer than any other man. He served as president from 1929 making a success of the city's could pay the other team or not chose the Elks' come-all-ye, at co-founder and longtime publi there, and the Packers' trials and tribulations awakened it exacted." Turnbull's contributions ex But everyone else was in the sher of the Press-Gazette, made same boat they didn't know tercentennial in 1934), suggested they go on with the game in spite of the downpour. Today anew.

several vital and lasting con tended by a capacity crowd of four hundred, to organize the team on a business basis. The tended far beyond the Green Bay scene. Fred Leicht, who has tributions as first president of through 1946, a 17-year span. Emergency Meeting Lambeau will tell you that, des "Without making a to-do over the matter, he determined to rally a few friends around him been a member of the Packer the then embryonic corporation. pite the fact that the Packers whether they could pay us el ther." Tick Up a Player Although Evrard was presl dent of the struggling young cor Ideally equipped for the as to give Lambeau and his young signment, Joannes not only had board of directors for nearly 40 years, recently reflected, "Andy was respected throughout the league.

His guidance at that did play, won the ball game, and lost $2,200, it was still the finest bit of advice he ever took advan men the boost they needed. So The most significant of these came on a sodden Sunday lng in 1922. The Packers were in deep financial trouble, largely as the result of weather prob began the Hungry Five. a ready understanding of the playing problems which confronted Lambeau, but often pro Packers were Green Bay, and Green Bay was the town behind them. "Stock shares were sold at $5 each, and every purchaser of five shares was guaranteed a box at the Packer home games.

tage of in his whole career. "Andy invited a number of time was worth a great deal to poration for only one year, in 1928, his tenure was a momentous one. The Packers gained national prominence for ot uus one vided the team with much all of professional football. leading citizens to a small luncheon one day after the ill-fated financial season was over. They game might well have sounded "And we on the Packer board lems, a situation described in detail in the late Arch Ward's 1946 book, "The Green Bay needed financial assistance.

"His office on Washington the death knell of the Packers," were certainly indebted to him gathered at the round table in for his advice, counsel and lea the first time that season when they invaded New York to upset the Giants, 7-0, in the baptismal Ward noted. "But Andy Turn-bull, a true Green Bay citizen the Beaumont Hotel's Attic Packers." Packers Jinxed The team finished the following season practically square, but still owed the bant money. Turnbull and his four team dership. Everyone of us looked ed as vice president head coach of the Cardinals although he earlier had been offered a new, two-year contract. Room.

since 1915, had been watching of a series which has become up to Andy on some of these Street was the scene of the emergency meeting called for all the good burghers of Green Bay when it appeared that not "The football team and a loyal Original Hungry Five things when we didn't know one of the great rivalries in the team go through its early paces, and he believed in it. mates then included fifty lead band of supporters were there, but it appeared the Packers "He didn't require much per Fischer responded to this de what to do, and he always "A native of London, Ontario, seemed to have the answers. velopment with vigorous dis ing citizens to sign a pledge whereby they would absorb a ratio of $100 each if the team Dr. KeQy also presided over even three successive worlds championships were going to Mr. Turnbull began his news were jinxed," Ward wrote.

"For example, they once played a "His biggest contribution was corporate affairs only one sea suasion in convincing men like Lee Joannes, Dr. W. W. Kelly, Gerry Clifford, Emmet Platten and A. C.

Wittenborg that the patch, announcing on Feb. 1, 1950, "The fans can expect im- rescue the Packers from a di son, 1929, as successor to Ev should lose money. The terms of that pledge, old Packer fans are financial advice. Sometimes it got pretty close," Leicht smiled. paper career with the Detroit News, working as a classified checker after high school.

He moved to the Duluth News-Tri rard. But he was a major figure lemma created by a spectator home game with the Columbus Panhandles. Lambeau, Calhoun, Neil Murphy, and Joe Ordens TURN TO PAGE R-15. COLUMN 4 kickoff play on the job should be the erasure of the Packers' debt thought they were showing ad of $2,500. A loan took care of mirable foresight by taking out bune to sell advertising, after having served as office manager in Bay City, Mich.

He was ad- a rain insurance policy. Verily, that. "The next step found the orig it rained, but missed the de i i chief in Saginaw, inal members of the Hungry mands of the policy by one-hun then came to the Press- Five Turnbull, Joannes, Kelly dredth of an inch, and the pre-1 mlum was tacked onto the losing and Cliford calilng in their Gazette in 1915. Trials and Tribulations fifth man, Lambeau, and sug PLYMOUTH makes it more fun side of the ledger. gesting an assembly of the city's "Beyond all of this newspaper football fans.

Such was called background, he maintained a lively interest in sports, one of one spring evening in the old Elks Club on Cherry Street. By "Came another rainstorm, and the downcast Lambeau and George Calhoun, arising to look upon it upon a Sunday morning, were on the verge of giving up the ship. Cal was then one of tha eAitnra1 hnluarlre nf the now, the town grapevine had his first heroes being Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers, whom he found time to see in action many sent along the news that the Packers were no longer just a an afternoon as a young man. Green Bay's native sports con a d-working football team to drive sciousness naturally heightened They were Green Bay own, Press-Gazette, and he suggested that the least they could do was to go down to the paper's old headquarters on Cherry Street. My Favorite Packer 7th "There Calhoun thought they might run into Andy Turnbull, those who saw or played with My favorite all-time Packer is him to feel as though I too saw I ii iiiimi i i i i the papers general manager and one of the Packers' staun-chest fans, although he had not my dad, Mike Michalske, guard and lineman with the Packers for eight years (1929-1937).

Dad him dash down that field. Those days, when Dad played, were truly days of great players of talent and endurance and my was considered many things in those days, including great and Iron Mike!" and even over 25 Dad was among the 60 minute men who played offense and de fense. years has only served to put his name in the National Football Hall of Fame in Canton and create enough interest in strangers actually entered the organizational picture as yet. They told 'him they thought they should call the game, scheduled against the Duluth Eskimos. Reserved Gentleman "Turnbull, a reserved gentleman who has been a quietly dominant factor in the development of more than the Pack- ers (witness his efforts in build- As his daughter, I think Mike Michalske is and was great and my favorite all-time Pack to write for his autograph.

er. I never saw my dad play, but Lee Ann Michalske Greenwood De Pere, Wis. over the years I have heard enough stories of his playing by 1 It's A Brand New Ball Game WE make it easier to own an exciting new PLYMOUTH Best Wishes The DUSTER An all new two-door coupe has been added fo the Plynv outh Valiant line. The sleek style of the Duster is complemented by a new 198-cubic inch six, which achieves a compromise between economy and performance. xmmnr To our Coach and General Manager, the Coaching Staff, the Players and the Entire Packer Organization for a Successful Season.

l50 Coach Phil Bengtson PLYMOUTH FURY III The' Plymouth Fury III, like all 1970 Plymouth models, offers many styling improvements. Noticeable this year is the high degree of luxury built into the Fury 111. Major styling changes are at front and rear with full loop bumpers encircling the grille and tail lamps. The BARRACUDA Entirely new and racy styling marks the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda line with those distinctive series of cars with performance potential and a long list of special options. Before or after the game visit the Forvm for the finest in dining pleasure.

Enjoy your favorite cocktail mixed in championship style. Entertainment nightly in the Atrium Room. BilottVs See the 1970 Plymouth Packer City Plymouth 225 S. Military Ave. Phone 499-1436 Salutes the Packers' 50 th Year Phone 494-3428 788 Packer Drive.