This seems to have been circulating around the email forwarding circuit for a little while, but I think it’s fairly cool anyway.
We’ve confirmed with Packers Hall of Fame that this is a copy of the Green Bay Packers’ 1944 contract. It contains a cover letter — the image below — from Curly Lambeau to Ed McGroaraty.
Lambeau’s offer to McGroaraty is $150 per game, plus $35 a week for living expenses until the first game. No one seems to know anything about McGroaraty, but it doesn’t seem like he ever played a game for the Packers, who won the NFL title in 1944.
As for the origin of the document, it apparently comes from McGroaraty’s granddaughter.
Click on the image and you can view the full document (cover letter and contract) as a PDF.
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That’s pretty interesting. Less than two months after D-Day the Packers are getting ready for their season.
why isn’t is signed? Maybe he turned it down. lol
He may not have signed the copy he kept, with this letter for his personal records.
He may not have been able to get the “leave of absence” presumed by the contract. He might have had to serve his country instead.
For those interested, according to a Google search, Edward “Mac” McGroaraty was a 1939 graduate of Northland College in Ashland, WI, where he played football and basketball. A Northland College link stated that after graduation, McGroaraty signed with the Packers and “also played with Cincinnati. A knee injury forced him to retire.” However, no other record confirmed this. He’s not listed on rosters for Green Bay or Cincinnati. McGroaraty was reportedly associated for over 30 years with Wegner Door Service in Milwaukee. He was inducted into the Northland College Hall of Fame in 1983. The link also gave other info as well. It’s interesting the link indicated he played professional sports, when apparently, that was not the case. Anyone know why he never followed through with the contract offer? Or did he get hurt early on (knee) and never made the roster?
Saw this contract when a friend brought it in to Kegel’s Inn, West Allis beginning of Nov. Send back a message back to the owner to safeguard as it will have monetary and historical value. I am not sure they knew it or that they are football fans.