Later careers Joe Foss

1 later careers

1.1 american football league
1.2 television career
1.3 national rifle association
1.4 philanthropy
1.5 joe foss institute
1.6 other honors , recognition

later careers

joe foss commissioner of american football league


american football league

after serving governor, foss spent short time working raven industries before becoming first commissioner of newly created american football league in 1959. oversaw emergence of league genesis of modern professional football. during next 7 years, foss helped expand league , made lucrative television deals, including initial five-year, $10.6 million contract abc in 1960 broadcast afl games. next contract 5 years, nbc substantially greater $36 million, starting in 1965.

foss stepped aside commissioner in april 1966, 2 months before historic agreement led merger of afl , nfl , creation of super bowl. al davis succeeded him, disagreed merger , resigned after 3½ months. milt woodard, assistant commissioner under foss, named new office of president of afl in july , served through league s final season in 1969.

television career

drawing on lifelong love of hunting , outdoors, foss hosted abc television s american sportsman 1964-67, took him around world hunting , fishing excursions. hosted , produced own syndicated outdoors tv series, outdoorsman: joe foss, 1967-74. in 1972, began six-year stint director of public affairs klm royal dutch airlines.

national rifle association

starting in 1988, foss elected 2 consecutive one-year terms president of national rifle association. in later years maintained rigorous speaking schedule , spoke out conservative causes on considered weakening of gun owners rights. portrayed on cover of 29 january 1990 issue of time magazine wearing trademark stetson hat , holding revolver.

philanthropy

foss, had daughter cerebral palsy, served president of national society of crippled children , adults. foss s other charities included easter seals campaign, campus crusade christ, , arizona program disadvantaged youths.

the joe foss institute

in 2001, foss , second wife, didi, founded joe foss institute, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. institute works veterans , educators around country educate our nation s youth on history , civics, , inspire them become informed , engaged citizens. through classroom presentations, curriculum , scholarships, joe foss institute has served more 1.35 million children, of june 2014, nationwide. currently, institute offers 3 primary programs; veterans inspiring patriotism (vip), america civics series , scholarship contests run year-round. foss did many of these school visits himself, speaking children of ages service, responsibility, patriotism, integrity , commitment.

joe foss, c. 1990


other honors , recognition

foss co-authored or subject of 3 books including wartime joe foss: flying marine (with walter simmons); top guns (with matthew brennan); , proud american wife, donna wild foss. foss provided foreword above , beyond: aviation medals of honor barrett tillman, , profiled in tom brokaw s 1998 book world war ii , warriors, greatest generation. brokaw characterized foss: had hero s swagger winning smile go plain talk , movie-star looks. joe foss larger life, , heroics in skies on pacific beginning of journey take him places far farm no electricity , not hope north of sioux falls. brave eagle, 1955 postwar effort film story of foss s life, starring friend, john wayne, fell through in 1956 when foss refused allow producers add fictitious love story. american ace: joe foss story award-winning, hour-length television documentary, produced south dakota public broadcasting, first aired in fall 2006.

foss inducted national aviation hall of fame in 1984. president , board chairman of air force association , director of united states air force academy. in 2000, served consultant on popular computer game combat flight simulator 2 microsoft. complete listing of foss s affiliations , honors given @ joe foss institute.

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