Yale Bulletin and Calendar

February 16, 2001

Volume 29, Number 19

Paul Tagliabue

NFL commissioner to discuss future of pro sports

Paul Tagliabue, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL), will visit Yale as a Gordon Grand Fellow on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Tagliabue will meet informally with coaches and members of the football team during the day. He will deliver the Gordon Grand Lecture, "Pro Sports in the New Millennium," at a Saybrook College master's tea to be held at 4 p.m. at the President's House, 43 Hillhouse Ave. The tea is free and open to the public.

During Tagliabue's 10 years as commissioner, the NFL has expanded from 28 to 32 teams, secured the largest television contracts in entertainment history and refocused its efforts in developing public-private partnerships for new stadiums. Tagliabue has presided over the reorganization of the league's management structure, adopted stringent policies on steroids and other drugs, and expanded the NFL's presence internationally. He also initiated a series of rule changes to speed up the game, ensure balance between offense and defense and promote player safety.

Tagliabue took office on Nov. 5, 1989, succeeding Pete Rozelle, who served as NFL commissioner 1960-89.

For the prior two decades, Tagliabue represented the NFL as an attorney in areas including television, expansion, legislative affairs, franchise moves, labor and antitrust cases. He was a partner at Covington & Burling, a Washington D.C. law firm, then the NFL's principal outside counsel. His involvement with the NFL began in 1969, during the merger of the NFL and the American Football League, when "Monday Night Football" was being launched.

Before that, Tagliabue served in the office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Defense Department, as a policy analyst on European and North Atlantic affairs. On leaving the department, Tagliabue was awarded the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, the department's highest award.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, he was a high school honor student and star basketball player. He received an athletic scholarship from Georgetown University, where he was captain of the 1961-62 basketball team. Taglibue attended New York University School of Law, where he was an editor of the law review and graduated with honors in 1965. He is a former member of the board of trustees of NYU Law School.

Tagliabue serves on the board of directors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Urban League, and on the board of governors of the United Way of America.

The Gordon Grand Fellowship at Yale promotes dialogue and understanding between business leaders and students. The fellowship was established in 1973 to honor Gordon Grand (Class of 1938), president and chief executive officer of the Olin Corporation. During his lifetime, Grand actively promoted the exchange of ideas and viewpoints between business and academia.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

New scholarship seeks to boost diversity in EPH

Exhibit celebrates 'Paul Mellon Bequest'

Columnist condemns 'infotainment' trend

Producer calls for more ethics in filmmaking

Students learning their letters in weekly calligraphy club

Yale SOM launches student-managed venture capital fund

NFL commissioner to discuss future of pro sports

New society advocates use of ecological concepts in industry

Senior Ben Trachtenberg wins prestigious Mitchell Scholarship

Liman Colloquium will examine law enforcement practices

Students will test skills in 'ultimate mind sport' with Yale sponsorship

Solnit will explore the 'Bioethics of Children's Rights'

Economist William Nordhaus to discuss dilemmas raised by 'global public goods'

Yale Dramat to present Brecht masterpiece

Dance troupes to unite in benefit performance

Garten to discuss his new book, 'The Mind of the C.E.O.'