50th Anniversary celebration!

Hall Info Published on : 9/7/2013
{GALLERY}The Canton, Ohio community in the late 1950s lobbied the National Football League to accept the city as site designation for a planned Hall of Fame for professional football. In 1961, the NFL selected the northeastern Ohio city as the future home for the museum.  Construction soon followed and on Sept. 7, 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame officially opened its doors.

On Saturday, the Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Department of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, hosted Community Celebration Day at the Hall of Fame. The day marked the 50th Anniversary of the Hall’s opening.

Three football legends – Joe DeLamielleure, Leroy Kelly, and Paul Warfield – were on hand to represent their fellow inductees. The trio also participated in two roundtable discussions for visitors inside the Hall of Fame Event Center.

Many distinguished guests also attended the events including two of architects who designed the original building, Bob Forsythe and J. Morgan Cox.

Local high school bands played throughout the day to enhance the energy around the campus as numerous family fun activities were offered free of charge to guests.