ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
Professional football in the Midwest was chaotic—franchises folded midseason, players jumped teams for cash, and no central body enforced schedules or rules.
What happened
Representatives met in Canton, Ohio, and on September 17, 1920, formed the American Professional Football Association, which renamed itself the National Football League two years later; Jim Thorpe served as its first president.
Why it still matters
The APFA's structure let pro football survive the 1920s and eventually eclipse college ball as America's favorite autumn sport. Memorable detail: only two of the original franchises—the Bears and Cardinals—still exist in some form today.
Background
Jim Thorpe served as the first president.