Bill Boyer
E. William Boyer was an American businessman who was a founder of the Minnesota Vikings.
Bill Boyer Ford
Boyer was an investor in McDonald Gilfillan Motor Company, a Minneapolis automobile dealership founded in 1927. In 1938, the company became a Ford Motor Company franchise holder. In 1952 he became the sole owner of the dealership and renamed it Bill Boyer Ford. In 1958, Boyer began selling Ford heavy commercial trucks.[1]
Minnesota Vikings
In 1959, Boyer, Max Winter, and H. P. Skoglund were awarded the Minneapolis-St. Paul franchise in the new American Football League.[2] In an effort to fight back against the new league, Chicago Bears owner George Halas proposed adding Dallas and Houston to the NFL.[3] However, the ownership group for the proposed Houston franchise backed out after they were unable to find a suitable stadium, which led Boyer's group to withdraw from the AFL and apply for an NFL franchise.[4] On January 28, 1960, Minneapolis was awarded an expansion franchise that would begin playing in 1961.[5]
Boyer served as president of the Minnesota Vikings from 1960 to 1965, and a vice president until his death. He died at the age of 67 on February 19, 1973, at Palm Springs, California.
References
- ^ "About Us". Boyer Trucks. FordDirect. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
- ^ "New Pro Football League Formed With Six Members, Including New York". The New York Times. August 15, 1959.
- ^ "Halas Bids N.F.L. Add Texas Cities". The New York Times. August 30, 1959.
- ^ Sainsbury, Ed (November 24, 1959). "Minneapolis May Withdraw From AFL". Daily Defender.
- ^ "NFL Gives Two New Franchises: Dallas This Year, Twin Cities in '61". The Boston Globe. January 29, 1960.
- ^ "E. W. Boyer". The New York Times. February 20, 1973. p. 36.
- ^ Sanri, Jim (September 5, 1971). "'Punt, Pass, Kick' competition may be start of a big career". The Boston Globe.