H. Res. 517

In the House of Representatives, U.S., 

March 28, 2006.

Whereas Wellington Timothy Mara was born on August 14, 

1916, in New York City; 

Whereas Wellington Mara graduated from Loyola High 

School in New York and proceeded to Fordham University, from which he graduated in 1937; 

Whereas Wellington Mara was closely involved with the Fordham University football teams of 1936 through 1938, 

which at one point won 25 straight games, and it was at 

Fordham University that Mara befriended future National Football League Hall of Fame coach Vince 

Lombardi; 

Whereas Wellington Mara was a vital participant in the New 

York Giants Football Club since its inception and inclusion in the National Football League in 1925 under the 

original leadership of his father Timothy; 

Whereas, in 1930, Wellington Mara acquired part-ownership 

of the New York Giants when his father divided the team 

between Wellington Mara and his brother Jack; 

Whereas under the co-leadership of Wellington and Jack 

Mara, the New York Giants appeared in five National 

Football League Championship games between 1958 and 

1963, and Wellington Mara was in charge of accumu-
2

•HRES 517 EH 

lating the player talent that engineered this remarkable 

accomplishment; 

Whereas, by supporting the agreement to share television revenues equally among the teams of the National Football 

League, Wellington and Jack Mara gave up significant 

revenue for their own team, but put the National Football League on the path to collective success; 

Whereas, after the untimely death of his brother Jack in 

1965, Wellington Mara became the principal owner of the 

New York Giants; 

Whereas, under his leadership, the New York Giants have 26 

postseason appearances, 18 National Football League divisional championships, and six National Football League 

championships, including the Super Bowl XXI and Super 

Bowl XXV titles; 

Whereas the only time Mara was away from the New York 

Giants was during World War II, when he served honorably in the United States Navy in both the Atlantic and 

Pacific theaters and earned the rank of Lieutenant Commander; 

Whereas, in addition to his outstanding leadership of the 

New York Giants, Wellington Mara also made outstanding contributions to the National Football League 

as a whole, including serving on its Executive Committee, 

Hall of Fame Committee, and Competition Committee; 

Whereas Wellington Mara has been inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame, and, in 2002, he was honored at the Fordham Founder’s dinner, which is 

Fordham’s highest honor; 

Whereas Wellington Mara was inducted into the National 

Football League Hall of Fame in 1997; 
3

•HRES 517 EH 

Whereas Wellington Mara served his community as a member 

of the board of the Giants Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the New York Giants to provide financial and social support for disadvantaged youths in 

the New York Metropolitan Area; and 

Whereas, on October 25, 2005, Wellington Mara succumbed 

to cancer at his home in Rye, New York: Now, therefore, 

be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives, on the occasion of the death of Wellington Timothy Mara—

(1) expresses its deepest condolences to his wife of 

61 years, Ann, his 11 children, and his 40 grandchildren; and 

(2) recognizes the outstanding contributions that 

Wellington Timothy Mara made to the New York Giants 

Football Club, the National Football League, and the 

United States.

Attest: 

Clerk.