Joe Foss - Inducted 1971

Born April 17, 1915 in Sioux Falls. 1940 USD grad. As well as being a World War II flying ace and the governor of South Dakota, Foss was an avid outdoorsman and the first commissioner of the American Football League. Foss was AFL commissioner from 1959-65. The AFL grew in stature and prestige, eventually forcing the NFL to a 'Super Bowl' playoff and eventually consolidation of the two leagues. After leaving the AFL, Foss started a series of TV shows that took him to the world's finest hunting and fishing areas and gave him ample opportunity to present his theories on wildlife conservation.