Dan Rooney

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Daniel Milton Rooney (July 20, 1932 – April 13, 2017) was an American executive and diplomat best known for his work with the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL), and Art Rooney, the Steelers' grandfather.

He played various roles in the company, most prominent as president, CEO, and chairman.

Rooney's philosophy and leadership style promoted open, practical, and cost-effective management.

During his tenure as a quarterback, eight AFC Championships, and a NFL record six Super Bowl Championships, the Steelers were extremely successful.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game.

He was also credited with establishing the "Rooney Rule" in which NFL clubs with head coach and general manager vacancies screen at least one minority candidate. Rooney served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from July 2009 to his resignation in December 2012.

He was also co-founder of The Ireland Funds, an Ireland-based fundraising group.

Early life and education

Daniel Milton Rooney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Kathleen (née McNulty) and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. Rooney was involved in several aspects of the franchise from the time he was a young boy, most often assisting his father at Pitt Stadium and Forbes Field. He grew up in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood and attended North Catholic High School, where he excelled as the team's quarterback. He was also the mentor for the St. Peter's Elementary school football team, which was quarterbacked by future CIA Director and lifelong friend Michael Hayden. Fran Fogerty, Joe Carr and Ed Kiely all mentored Rooney. These guys were involved in teaching him the art of football. After graduating from Duquesne University with his concentration in accounting, he knew football was what he wanted to pursue.

Personal life

For sixty-five years, Rooney was married to his wife Patricia Regan. They first met in the Steelers' office where she was employed, and then we married shortly after. The couple had nine children together, but two of them had died before he was surpassed by two of his children. Kate Mara and her sister Rooney Mara were both the maternal great-uncle of actresses Kate Mara and her sister Rooney Mara.

He surprised many in 2008 by his public endorsement of Barack Obama for president. The family had always been very private about politics, despite being rumored to have a Republican bent. Rooney expressed skepticism in response to his public endorsement, saying, "I have a great deal of respect for Barack Obama's America." I endorse his candidacy and look forward to his Presidency.

Rooney, the benefactor of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and Vice Chairman of The American Ireland Fund, was the fund's Vice Chairman. He served as the Founding Chairman of The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2002, he was ranked on the PoliticsPA's list of the most influential individuals in Pennsylvania politics. Rooney was made Honorary Commander of the Most Highly Distinguished Order of the British Empire in 2008. He received the 2009 Jack Horrigan Memorial Award, which was given by the Pro Football Writers Association to recognize a league or club official "for his or her role in supporting the pro football writers do their jobs." The Jackie Robinson Foundation named him in 2016 with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

On April 13, 2017, Rooney died at the age of 84. Former President Barack Obama and former secretary of state John Kerry were among the attendees at his funeral in Pittsburgh. His burial was in Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Cemetery, Ross Township, Pennsylvania.

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Career

Rooney began working as the Steelers' director of personnel in 1960. Rooney was running the day-to-day operations of the team early 1969 and had personally chosen Chuck Noll as the coaching staff's manager. In 1975, Rooney was named team president and was granted full operational control of the brand. Before his death in 1988, his father served as Chairman and President Emeritus, as well as the company's public image.

Rooney generally avoided the spotlight, but he was also a very visible producer behind the scenes. Rooney was instrumental in the negotiations of the 1982 collective bargaining agreement, and is largely praised both by owners and players for bringing an end to a season long strike. He was also one of the primary architects of the salary cap, which was introduced in 1993. Following Rooney's death, he became the patriarch and controlling owner of the team. Rooney grew up in his father's footsteps by handing over the franchise's day-to-day operations to the next generation of the family. Although Rooney was still chairman and, to many others, the team's public face, his son Art Rooney II assumed complete operational responsibility of the Steelers.

Rooney tried to stop the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers' biggest rival, from moving to Baltimore in 1995. Ralph Wilson, the owner of the Buffalo Bills, was the only owner to vote against the change, and he was a driving force in ensuring that the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999.

Rooney and his brother, team president Art Rooney II, declared on July 7, 2008 that they were attempting to purchase Rooney and his brother's shares in the team. Some of Rooney's four brothers, according to the team, need to "get out of the league and honed their company efforts on their racetracks and other areas." According to the Wall Street Journal, the Steelers had "secretly shopped to potential buyers amid growing tensions among the team's founder, Art Rooney Sr," which may have resulted in the selling of the franchise or a consolidation of control within the Rooney family. Discussions had reportedly been going on for the past two years. The use of the word "ensure compliance with NFL ownership policies" was used to describe the family's gambling activities. They owned Yonkers Raceway, a harness racing track outside of New York City, and Palm Beach Kennel Club, a greyhound racetrack in West Palm Beach at the time of publication. The New York racetrack had been owned by the family since 1972, and the Florida racetrack had been owned since 1970. "These facilities have introduced new forms of gaming that are in breach of NFL gambling policy," the team explained. "This article is about the then-recent installation of slot machines." No NFL owner may have directly or indirectly invested in a gaming casino, according to league rules. Any facility with slot machines is classified as a casino by the NFL.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell had asked former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue to "serve as a league representative in discussions with the family in order to find an understanding on the separation of the gambling interests and a reorganization of ownership if the team is sold," according to the Steelers' statement. Any transaction involving an NFL team must be approved by 75% of member clubs, and must be approved by 75%. In September 2007, Forbes magazine had the Steelers listed their value at $929 million. Art Jr., Tim, Patrick, and John, Rooney's brothers, released a statement announcing that they had retained Goldman Sachs & Co. to put a price tag on the franchise, while New York analysts estimated it was worth between $800 million and $1.2 billion. Their shares were certainly worth more than Dan and Art II had sold at the time, and they may have risen even higher and still remain under NFL's ceiling of $150 million in ownership debt. Any Rooney brothers' stake was worth about $160 million, or less than Dan was expected to sell. Art Jr. was the brother who might have figured out if the majority of the team stays in the Rooney family. He was previously a Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate for his drafting abilities and was fired by Dan in 1987. If the brothers felt they would have signed a contract with Dan, they would not have retained Goldman Sachs. The step also highlighted their concerns that selling to Dan, along with the ensuing taxes, could cost their children and grandchildren much less money than their shares are worth. If any of the brothers were to die without a change in control, they would have estate taxes equal to up to 45% of the shares' value. To seek additional investors who might finance his buyout bid, Rooney worked with Morgan Stanley and PNC Financial Services in the hopes of bringing in new investors who may have sparked his buyout bid.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Duquesne Capital Management chairman Stanley Druckenmiller was apparently interested in buying the team. On July 8, the Associated Press announced that a deal could be reached within days to sell a majority interest in the Steelers to Druckenmiller, effectively stripping the brand from the Rooney family. However, Rooney fell short of confirming that he and his son would continue to lead a team. He speculated that "many people," not Druckenmiller, might be interested in the NFL franchise. Later today, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that the NFL would continue to assist the Rooneys in their efforts to keep control of the Steelers while maintaining the franchise's roots, and that the team will not move to another location, only that the name will change or be consolidated.

Tim and Pat planned to sell each of their 16% interest in the Steelers on November 21, so they could continue to play in racetracks and casinos in Yonkers and West Palm Beach, despite their inability. John and Art Jr. intending to keep just less than half of their 16% interest, while Dan and Art II were hoping to bring 30% of the team's funds to the team, and assembled a list of investors who would become their new friends in the franchise.

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