Dominic Olejniczak
Dominic Olejniczak | |
---|---|
Mayor of Green Bay | |
In office 1945–1955 | |
Preceded by | Alex Biemeret |
Succeeded by | Otto Rachals |
President, Green Bay Packers | |
In office 1958–1982 | |
Preceded by | Russ Bogda |
Succeeded by | Robert J. Parins |
Dominic John Olejniczak (August 18, 1908 – April 16, 1989) was an American real estate broker, politician, and football executive. Olejniczak served as an alderman of Green Bay, Wisconsin, from 1936 to 1944. He was then elected mayor, serving for 10 years from 1945 to 1955. During his tenure as mayor, a number of large infrastructure projects were completed and city administration was streamlined. Olejniczak was also known for his work with the Green Bay Packers. Over a period of almost 40 years, Olejniczak served as a member of the board of directors, a vice president, president, and chairman of the board. His 24 years as president is the longest tenure of any Packers president. During his presidency, he hired Vince Lombardi in 1959, the Packers won five championships, and the team saw its net worth grow over 5,000%. In recognition of his contributions, Olejniczak was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. He died in 1989, after a series of strokes.
Early years
Dominic Olejniczak was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to John and Victoria Olejniczak on August 18, 1908.[1] He attended Green Bay East High School and lived close to Hagemeister Park, the home of the Green Bay Packers at the time.[2]
City government
Professionally, Olejniczak worked as a
Green Bay Packers
Olejniczak was a lifelong fan of the Packers. His childhood home was located close to City Stadium, which at the time was located at his high school's grounds.[10] On July 10, 1950, Olejniczak was first elected to the board of directors of Green Bay Packers, Inc., the publicly-owned, non-profit organization that owns the Packers.[2][11] As mayor and director, he helped organize a stock drive that generated over $100,000 (roughly equivalent to $1.27 million in 2023) in revenue and helped prevent the team from folding.[12][13] Olejniczak was quickly promoted within the leadership of the Packers: in 1952, he was elected to the executive committee of the board of directors; in 1954 he was named one of two vice presidents; and in 1957, he was named executive vice president.[2] After the resignation and then death of Russ Bogda, Olejniczak was elected as the next president of the franchise.[10][14] When he took over the Packers presidency, the team had not had a winning record in 10 years, and that first season in 1958 under first-year head coach Ray McLean was the worst regular season record (1–10–1) in franchise history.[10]
Olejniczak was a strong advocate for building the New City Stadium in 1957 (renamed "Lambeau Field" in 1965 after the death of Curly Lambeau)[10] and led the search committee that hired New York Giants assistant Vince Lombardi in early 1959.[15] Lombardi would go on to lead the Packers to one of the most successful periods in team history, with five championships and two Super Bowl victories in the 1960s. Re-elected for the final time in May 1981, Olejniczak resigned the following year on June 1, 1982.[2] After serving over 24 years as Packers president, more than anyone in the team's history, he was succeeded by judge Robert J. Parins.[2][16] During his tenure, the Packers' net worth grew over 5,000% and Lambeau Field grew in size from 32,000 sears to over 57,000 seats. At that time, Olejniczak was named chairman of the board and served in that role until 1989.[2] He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1979 and National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.[10][17] Packers' team historian Cliff Christl noted that Olejniczak "was a soft-spoken consensus-builder, but carried considerable clout while serving as president of the Packers".[2]
Personal life
On November 24, 1938, Olejniczak married Regina Bettine at
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Mayors of Green Bay - Dominic Olejniczak". ci.green-bay.wi.us. Archived from the original on May 5, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Christl, Cliff. "Dominic Olejniczak". Packers.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
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- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Executive Committee & Board of Directors". Packers.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
- ^ Lopresti, Mike (January 1, 2011). "Green Bay mayor put Packers on path to success". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "Shareholder History & Financial History" (PDF). Packers.com. January 22, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Dominic Olejniczak, Sports Executive". The New York Times. April 17, 1989. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ Christl, Cliff. "Judge Robert J. Parins". Packers.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ "Dominic Olejniczak". polishsportshof.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.