I'm pleased to announce that I’ll be speaking at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 30th about my 2019 book, War Football: World War I and the Birth of the NFL.
If you’re in or near Kansas City, please join me in person! The event starts at 6:30pm central time. And if you’re not in or near KC, the museum will be streaming this live. The registration link, for both in-person and virtual, is https://theworldwar.org/events/war-football-wwi-and-birth-nfl
Here’s the event description: “Trading their cleats for boots and game balls for bayonets, many athletes – amateur, collegiate and professional – became players in an entirely new game during the First World War. To raise the morale of servicemen, along with millions of dollars in funding for the war effort, each branch of the United States military created competitive football teams. The camaraderie fostered between military players, along with spectator interest in these types of all-star teams, lingered long after the Armistice, leading to the founding of the National Football League in 1920. As we look forward to April’s NFL Draft on the grounds of the Museum and Memorial, join author Chris Serb for a timely lecture on the history of America’s favorite pastime – from the front to the field.”
There is a Northwestern connection to the War Football story: Paddy Driscoll, Northwestern's first-ever All-American in 1916, starred at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and, based on his experience playing pre-war semi-pro football, talked his Great Lakes teammate George Halas into doing the same after the war. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hope to see you, either in person or virtually, on March 30. Registration is free, for both in-person and streaming.
Chris Serb (Medill MSJ '96, Kellogg MBA '09, NUFB STH since 1996, NUFB fan since around 1978)
If you’re in or near Kansas City, please join me in person! The event starts at 6:30pm central time. And if you’re not in or near KC, the museum will be streaming this live. The registration link, for both in-person and virtual, is https://theworldwar.org/events/war-football-wwi-and-birth-nfl
Here’s the event description: “Trading their cleats for boots and game balls for bayonets, many athletes – amateur, collegiate and professional – became players in an entirely new game during the First World War. To raise the morale of servicemen, along with millions of dollars in funding for the war effort, each branch of the United States military created competitive football teams. The camaraderie fostered between military players, along with spectator interest in these types of all-star teams, lingered long after the Armistice, leading to the founding of the National Football League in 1920. As we look forward to April’s NFL Draft on the grounds of the Museum and Memorial, join author Chris Serb for a timely lecture on the history of America’s favorite pastime – from the front to the field.”
There is a Northwestern connection to the War Football story: Paddy Driscoll, Northwestern's first-ever All-American in 1916, starred at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and, based on his experience playing pre-war semi-pro football, talked his Great Lakes teammate George Halas into doing the same after the war. The rest, as they say, is history.
Hope to see you, either in person or virtually, on March 30. Registration is free, for both in-person and streaming.
Chris Serb (Medill MSJ '96, Kellogg MBA '09, NUFB STH since 1996, NUFB fan since around 1978)
