orig. Alvin Ray Rozelle
born March 1, 1926, South Gate, Calif., U.S.
died Dec. 6, 1996, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
U.S. sports executive and commissioner of the National Football League (NFL).
He graduated from the University of San Francisco and initially worked in public relations. Named commissioner in 1960, he doubled the league's size, helped create the Super Bowl , and negotiated lucrative television deals with the networks. In 1966 Rozelle secured an agreement to merge the NFL with the rival American Football League. In 1970 he persuaded ABC to broadcast Monday Night Football , which proved a huge success. NFL attendance more than tripled during his tenure, which lasted until 1989.