License to Thrive

Georgia Frontiere, NFL Pioneer, Dies at Age 80

Georgia Frontiere, the first woman to own an NFL franchise, has died at the age of 80.  Frontiere gained control of the Los Angeles Rams in April 1979 when her husband drowned. Her husband had intended one of his sons to be his successor but left majority onwership of the team to his wife.  She decided she wanted to play a larger role in the running of the team, despite doubters in the NFL world and the media.  At her first news conference, she said: "There are some people who feel there are two different kinds of people - human beings and women."

The Rams went to the 1980 Super Bowl and Frontiere gained notoriety, appearing in an American Express commercial as well as on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  In 1995, Frontiere relocated the team to St. Louis, her hometown.  The team won the Super Bowl in 2000 and appeared in the 2002 Super Bowl but lost to the New England Patriots.