Name: Austin Gunsel Commissioner: 1959-1960 Born: May 4, 1903 Died: June 17, 1974 Occupations: FBI Special Agent Profile: A native of Irvington, New Jersey and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania,
Austin Gunsel joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1939. He served
as both J. Edgar Hoover's administrative assistant and as a special agent for the
Bureau, and during his crime-fighting career, served in the New York, Detroit
and Chicago field offices. In 1952, Gunsel was hired by the NFL to head the league's investigative department, a move made in response to commissioner Bert Bell's fear of a scandal damaging the league's image. Gunsel became league treasurer in 1956, holding the post until his retirement ten years later. In January 1960 at a meeting of NFL owners, he was the early frontrunner to retain the commissioner's job, but Los Angeles Rams General Manager Pete Rozelle was ultimately elected to the post on January 26th after 23 ballots. ©MMVII Tank Productions. This site is not affiliated with the National Football League. This site is maintained for research purposes only. Return to NFL Commissioners. Page created on August 9, 2007. Last updated on August 9, 2007 at 11:55 pm ET. Home |
Austin Gunsel NFL Commissioner 1959-1960 |
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