Charles Bidwill owned the team for 14 seasons, from 1933 through 1946.
14 Facts About Charles Bidwill
2.
Charles Bidwill was owner of a racing stable, the president of the Chicago Stadium Operating Company and owner of a printing company.
3.
Charles Bidwill was part owner of the Chicago Bears, after he helped George Halas buy Edward "Dutch" Sternaman's share of the team in 1933.
4.
Mother bought $5,000 worth of stock from her savings, Charles Bidwill purchased $5,000 in stock and arranged a bank loan for the remaining $5,000 needed to pay off Sternaman.
5.
One night in 1932, Dr David Jones, the then-owner of the Cardinals, and his wife were guests at an informal dinner party aboard Charles Bidwill's luxurious power-cruising yacht, The Ren-Mar.
6.
Charles Bidwill soon turned to Jones and the two began to discuss an offer.
7.
Charles Bidwill went on to buy the Cardinals from Jones for $50,000.
8.
Charles Bidwill handed Jones a down payment of $2,000 and the two men shook hands.
9.
Charles Bidwill then hired Jimmy Conzelman as coach, who later quit as coach to work for the St Louis Browns.
10.
In 1947 Charles Bidwill outbid the Rockets for the rights to All-American Charley Trippi, signing him to a then record $100,000 contract.
11.
Trippi was the final piece of what Charles Bidwill called his "Dream Backfield" of Paul Christman, Pat Harder, Marshall Goldberg, Elmer Angsman, and Trippi.
12.
Charles Bidwill died of pneumonia in April 1947, shortly after signing Trippi.
13.
Charles Bidwill is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
14.
Charles Bidwill remained sole owner until his death in 2019.