H. Res. 53 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

May 21, 2007. 

Whereas Lamar Hunt was born on August 2, 1932, in El 

Dorado, Arkansas; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt graduated from Southern Methodist 

University with a Bachelor of Science in Geology in 

1956, and was a 3 year reserve end on the varsity football team and was a distinguished alumni and avid supporter; 

Whereas at the age of 27, Lamar Hunt created the American 

Football League and founded the Dallas Texans, which 

were later renamed the Kansas City Chiefs when Hunt 

relocated the team in 1963; 

Whereas for 40 years Lamar Hunt owned and was a vital 

participant in the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club and 

created the Championship Game between the American 

Football League and the National Football League that 

became known as the Super Bowl, a moniker Hunt 

coined; 

Whereas under the leadership of Lamar Hunt, the Kansas 

City Chiefs won the American Football League Championship game in 1962, 1966, and 1969, and won the 

National Football League Super Bowl IV Championship 

in 1970; 
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•HRES 53 EH 

Whereas Lamar Hunt, a man of unwavering and deep humility, played an important role in the design, ongoing development, and direction of the modern-day National Football League and served as the driving force behind the 

merger of the American and National football leagues in 

1970; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt advocated for innovative and progressive changes to enhance football in the National Football 

League, including the installation of the 2-point conversion option for professional football, names on the backs 

of the uniforms, that the trophy given to the winner of 

the Super Bowl be named in honor of the late and revered Vince Lombardi, and an additional Thanksgiving 

game be added to the National Football League schedule; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt’s biggest influence on the professional 

football over the years was his quiet, yet persuasive voice 

of reason; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt’s name is rightfully mentioned alongside other legends in professional football history for his 

commitment to putting the betterment of the professional 

football leagues ahead of any potential individual gain, 

few individuals helped change the face of American football for the better than this quiet Texan; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt, as the founder of the American Football League, helped pave the way for much of the modern 

growth of professional football; 

Whereas possibly the greatest tribute to his contributions to 

the sport was the naming by the American Football 

League of the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which is presented 

annually to the champion of the American Football Conference; 
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•HRES 53 EH 

Whereas Lamar Hunt was also one of the founding investors 

in the 6-time World Champion Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and was the owner of 13 

distinctive championship rings from 5 different professional sports associations, including the American Football League and National Football League, Major League 

Soccer, National Basketball Association, North American 

Soccer League, and the United States Soccer ‘‘Open 

Cup’’; 

Whereas in total, Lamar Hunt was selected to 8 Halls of 

Fame, including the United States Soccer Hall of Fame 

in 1982, the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993, 

the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the Texas 

Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, the Texas Business Hall 

of Fame 1997, and the Kansas City Business Hall of 

Fame 2004; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt was the first American Football 

League figure to be enshrined into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1972; 

Whereas in 1981 Lamar Hunt was inducted into the National Football League Alumni Association’s prestigious 

Order of the Leather Helmet and in February of 1993, 

and received the Francis J. ‘‘Reds’’ Bagnell Award from 

the Maxwell Football Club of Philadelphia for continuing 

positive contributions to the game; 

Whereas in 1991 the 91-year-old U.S. Open Cup was renamed the ‘‘Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.’’; 

Whereas that same year Lamar Hunt received the U.S. Soccer Federation Hall of Fame Medal of Honor, joining 

former U.S. Soccer President Alan Rothenberg as the 

only other individual to earn that prestigious distinction; 
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Whereas in 2005 the U.S. Soccer Foundation honored Lamar 

Hunt with its Lifetime Achievement Award; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt brought smiles to millions of children 

who walked through the gates of his twin theme parks in 

Kansas City, Worlds and Oceans of Fun; 

Whereas in addition to his outstanding leadership of the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar Hunt served his community 

throughout his lifetime through philanthropic endeavors 

and the donation of his time in both Kansas City and 

Dallas; 

Whereas 2 of the projects closest to Lamar Hunt included 

Southern Methodist University, his alma mater where he 

served as co-chairman of the university’s campaign that 

raised $60,000,000 to build a new 32,000-seat football 

stadium that opened in 2000 and to which he and his 

wife Norma donated $5,000,000; and the Heart of a 

Champion Foundation, a nonprofit foundation that he 

launched in 2001; 

Whereas Lamar Hunt was also a supporter of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and was a benefactor of 

the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Museum of 

Art, and a host of causes related to children’s charities, 

education, and fine arts; and 

Whereas on December 13, 2006, Lamar Hunt succumbed to 

cancer at the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, 

Texas at the age of 74: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives, on this occasion less than one month after the death of Lamar Hunt— 

(1) expresses its deepest condolences to Lamar 

Hunt’s wife of 42 years, Norma, his 4 children, Lamar 
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Jr., Sharon Munson, Clark, and Daniel, and his 14 

grandchildren; and 

(2) recognizes the outstanding contributions that 

Lamar Hunt made to the Kansas City Chiefs, the National Football League, and the United States. 

Attest: 

Clerk.