Pictured on the left, Richard Kazmaier congratulates fellow Heisman winners Pete Dawkins (Army) and Alan Ameche (Wisconsin) on their induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975. Kazmaier was inducted in 1966 for his exploits at Princeton. He passed away Thursday.
IRVING, Texas (Aug. 2, 2013) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) mourns the loss of former NFF President Dick Kazmaier, a 1966 College Football Hall of Fame inductee and the 1951 Heisman Trophy recipient from Princeton, who passed away Aug. 1. He was 82. Kazmaier served as NFF President from 1974-86. He also served as chairman of the NFF Awards Committee from 1972-74, and the NFF presented him its Distinguished American Award in 1993.
“Dick Kazmaier established himself as one of the greatest college football players in the history of the game, and he took the same desire to win into the business world where he became one of our country’s most respected leaders,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “For more than a decade, he lent his reputation and remarkable skills set to guiding the NFF, and we are deeply indebted for his contributions, which left a lasting legacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as we mourn his loss and celebrate his life.”
Born Nov. 23, 1930 in Maumee, Ohio, Kazmaier entered Princeton on an academic scholarship in 1948. Kazmaier spent his first season at Princeton fifth on the depth chart. Within two years, he became the ultimate double threat as the starting left halfback in the single-wing offense of Hall of Fame head coach Charlie Caldwell. By his graduation, he was Princeton’s all-time leader in rushing (1,950 career yards) and ranked second in passing (2,404 career yards).
His exploits helped Princeton go undefeated in 1950 and 1951 while earning him All-America honors both seasons. He led the nation in total offense (1,827 yards), touchdowns (22) and passing percentage (.626) in 1951, a performance which earned him the Heisman, Maxwell and Walter Camp trophies. Other accolades in 1951 included United Press Player of the Year, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, and his photo on the Nov. 19 cover of the Time Magazine.
Kazmaier graduated cum laude from Princeton in 1952, receiving the John Poe Award for student achievement. He turned down pro football offers, choosing instead to obtain his master's in business administration at Harvard. He served three years 1955-57 in the U.S. Navy, attaining the rank of lieutenant.
Following Harvard and the Navy, he went into the sports marketing and consulting business, serving as president or general manager of several different businesses during a 15 year period. In 1975, he founded Kazmaier Associates, a Concord, Mass., firm focused on sports marketing and sports product manufacturing.
He was as a director of the Red Cross, director of the Ladies Professional Golfers Association, trustee of Princeton University, trustee of the Women’s Sports Foundation and director of the Knight Foundation on Intercollegiate Athletics. He served as chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. He also served as chairman of the board of the SGMA International and president of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.
Kazmaier is survived by Patricia, his wife of 60 years, five of his six daughters and numerous grandchildren. His daughter Patty passed away in 1990.
ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame, the NFF Scholar-Athlete Award presented by Fidelity Investments, Play It Smart, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Alumni Association, and scholarships of more than $1.3 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF presents the MacArthur Bowl, the William V. Campbell Trophy endowed by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF corporate partners include the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the BCS, Fidelity Investments, Herff Jones, Liberty Mutual Insurance, NCAA Football, and Under Armour. For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org.
