Wellington T. Mara (1916-2005)

Wellington Mara became involved with the New York Giants on the day his father, Tim, bought the team in 1925, and he continued to serve in many capacities over the years. Among the positions he functioned in at one time or another were assistant to the president, club secretary, vice president, and ultimately club president.

On Tuesday, Mara passed away at the age of 89.

Mara, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 1997, served as a ball boy at the age of nine and spent his entire adult life as a member of the Giants front office. Among his many contributions to the game was a decision in the early 1960s to share television revenue on a league wide basis. Instead of hording the annual windfalls the lucrative New York television market produced, he and brother Jack agreed to share the wealth with the smaller markets for the sake of competitive and economic balance in the NFL.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue released this statement Tuesday: "Wellington Mara represented the heart and soul of the National Football League. He was a man of deep conviction who stood as a beacon of integrity. When Well Mara stood to speak at a league meeting, the room would become silent with anticipation because all of us knew we were going to hear profound insights born of eight decades of league experience."

With Mara running the operation, the Giants captured 16 divisional championships and six league titles, including wins in Super Bowls XXI and XXV.