WARD, Arch

WARD, Arch. (Irwin, IL, Dec. 27, 1896-Chicago, IL, July 9, 1955). Journalist. After his father died in a railroad accident, Ward and his mother moved to Dubuque. In Dubuque, Ward had Father Daniel Gorman, President of COLUMBIA COLLEGE (now LORAS COLLEGE) as his guardian. Later enrolled at St. Joseph College and Academy, Ward served on the student literary magazine, The Spokesman. He left school to become the first sports editor of the TELEGRAPH HERALD.

In 1925 Ward began as a copy editor at the Chicago Tribune and was promoted to sports editor within five years. In 1933 he originated the idea of the major league baseball All-Star Game as a one-time exhibition of baseball’s greatest stars for the Chicago Century of Progress Fair. He also suggested that baseball fans choose the team members. He is credited with developing such sports favorites as the All-Star Football Game, Silver Skates, and the Golden Gloves boxing matches. In 1937 Ward assumed the responsibility of writing “In the Wake of the News,” the oldest continuous sports column written in the United States.

In 1939 and 1940 Ward rejected efforts to name him the National Football League Commissioner. He did, however, help form several rival football leagues—most notably the AAFC in the 1940s. He wrote three books—Frank Leaby and the Fighting Irish (1940), The Green Bay Packers (1946), and The New Chicago White Sox (1951).

Source: "175 Years" Vol. II Telegraph Herald, p. 99