The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Hunt, Lamar
1932–2006, American business and sports executive, b. El Dorado, Ark. One of the Hunt brothers—sons of Texas oil magnate H. L. Hunt—Lamar Hunt had significant business interests in oil and real estate, and was involved in 1969–70 with his brothers William Herbert Hunt and Nelson Bunker Hunt in an attempt to corner the silver market that failed spectacularly. Hunt is best known, however, for his role as owner of football’s Kansas City Chiefs and founder (1959) and president of the American Football League (1960–69). He negotiated the upstart AFL’s merger into the National Football League, which greatly expanded the older league and gave the NFL its modern form and popularity. Hunt is also credited with naming the Super Bowl, the NFL’s championship game. Active in other sports as well, Hunt helped found the North American Soccer League (1967–84) and Major League Soccer and World Championship Tennis (1971–89).
