National Football Foundation

It was in the summer of 1933 when Timothy J. Mara, the founder and owner of the New York Giants, took his son Wellington to his first Giants pre-season training camp. Wellington was 17 at the time and it was the beginning of one of the truly great love affairs in sports history.

From that summer, six decades ago, his beloved New York Giants henceforth commanded first priority in the exemplary life of Wellington Mara.

Wellington Mara has been the New York Giants and the Giants through their illustrious history have been Wellington Mara. His was not the case of a young man growing up as heir to an oil empire or a huge manufacturing plant. The Mara family heir- loom has been the New York Giants since the day back in 1925 when Timothy J. scraped up what was then the huge amount of $25,000 to take a gamble on a franchise in the fledgling National Football League. Wellington Mara's only business and career has been the Giants. And starting as a teenager he has done it all. He worked in the locker room. He shagged balls. He did odd jobs. Then, effective the day he became a proud graduate of Fordham University in 1937, Timothy Mara brought Wellington into the organization on a full-time career basis.

Over the ensuing six decades, Well Mara has been a vital and vibrant part of the Giants' scene. His experience has run the gamut from on-the-field operations, scouting and general organization through to the front office executive capacities, first as vice-president and then as president and chief operating officer. That career was interrupted only by World War II when Well served with distinction for more than three years in the Navy, seeing action in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of operation aboard aircraft carriers and emerging as a Lieutenant Commander.

Unbroken family ownership and tradition has long been a Giants trademark and remains ever so. Well's father is gone, and so is his older brother, Jack, former president of the Club for many years, but Well remains constant with the club along with his eldest son, John Kevin, who is executive vice-president and general counsel; son Chris, a scout in the Player Personnel department, and son Frank, who is assistant to the president.

The Maras have been a proud chapter of all professional sports. Recent years have seen changes from franchise ownership by a single family to corporate conglomerates. The Maras, the Rooneys, The Hallas family--tied to their fate--survival or failure. Working on a dream.

They were men and families of stature, backbone, bearing, dedication. If you know nothing else of Wellington Mara, he is all of those things. His gentlemanly comportment as the leader of the New York Giants has earned him profound respect among his fellow NFL team owners.

Along the way Wellington did what was best for the Giants and their fans--16 Divisional Championships, two NFL Championship appearances and two Super Bowl Championships, an overall record unmatched in the NFL.

Mara-engineered trades brought such players as V.A. Tittle, Andy Robustelli, Alex Webster, Del Shofner, Dick Lynch, Dick Modzelewski, Joe Walton, Erich Barnes--all players who helped the Giants to some Glory Years in the late 50's and 60's.

Tonight, Wellington Mara joins the ranks of previous National Football Foundation Distinguished American Award recipients.

Said the foundation Chairman Bill Pearce, "The National    Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame is dedicated to football and to the youth of our nation. Wellington Mara is a man who has dedicated his entire life to those same things: the game of football and the welfare of young people. His achievements in both areas are remarkable. It is a privilege to honor him with our Foundation's Distinguished American Award."

Fordham athletic director Frank McLaughlin says of Mara, "No one in this country loves football more than he does. He was on campus to see us play when we were at Division III level and he was among the first to support us when we moved up to Division I-AA. He has helped us a great deal, but is adamant about remaining in the background. He has been a steadfast friend to college football."