This Day in Steelers History The process has to begin somewhere, and for Art Rooney Sr. it all began on May 19, 1933.
It was on that day that Rooney's application for a National Football League franchise was granted, and the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club, Inc. joined the NFL in exchange for a fee of $2,500.
The team would become official on July 8, 1933, but it was this day in May, 1933 where it all started.
Below is an excerpt from the NFL Newsletter written by then league President Joe Carr making the announcement to the other teams in the NFL of the addition of a team in Pittsburgh.
*"The application of the Pittsburgh Professional Football Club Inc., accompanied by a check for Twenty-Five Hundred ($2,500.00) Dollars is on file in the office of the President. I have already received the unanimous approval of the Executive Committee for this application that will come before the July meeting for ratification by the entire membership.
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- "The Pittsburgh group is headed by Mr. Arthur Rooney, 915 Western Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., who has had much experience in the promotion of sporting and athletic events. The club appears to be well financed. The sporting editors of all the Pittsburgh papers are very enthusiastic about this group as well as the outlook for a National League Franchise in that city. They propose to play some early games at night and after it is permissible, under the new Pennsylvania law, to play on Sunday. Games will be played at Forbes Field, home of the Pittsburgh National League Baseball Club."*
