1942…WICHITA'S FIRST PRO FOOTBALL TEAM IS BORN

The year is 1942.  It's early August in Wichita…it's hot, humid and windy.  The country is at war.  Men are enlisting to fight for their country.  Football is the last thing you would think about.
 
But then comes the headline from the August 2, 1942, (Wichita Beacon), "WICHITA GETS BIG-TIME PRO GRID CLUB."
 
Quoting Jack Copeland, the (Wichita Beacon) Sports Editor, "Big time professional football was assured Wichita for the 1942 season with the announcement last night that Aero Parts Manufacturing Company would sponsor a team composed of former intercollegiate stars, and feature a schedule against leading service clubs of the country.  The announcement was made by John MacCullough, Aero Parts owner, a prominent Wichita sportsman and football enthusiast."
The Wichita Aero Commando Football Team was born.
 
WHY A WICHITA PRO FOOTBALL TEAM IN 1942
 
The decision to sponsor a football team at the professional level was made by John MacCullough following an indirect request by the President of the United States.  President Roosevelt requested that sports be continued as much as possible.
 
"Because President Roosevelt has signified willingness for the sports programs to continue," MacCullough stated, "and because Wichita is one of the nation's leading defense cities, I feel that an outstanding football team will afford much recreation for the workers."  He went on, "We hope to give Wichita both.  We are making every effort to line up leading players as well as schedule strong teams." 
 
Personally, my compliments to MacCullough for undertaking this endeavor.
 
Remember, at this period of history some of the greatest athletes of the time were going off to war.  Athletes like Ted Williams, Bob Feller and a host of our greatest baseball players, football players and all sports athletes were enlisting to fight for their country.  Feller, for example, would  possibly have won more than 300 games pitching for the Cleveland Indians had his career not been interrupted at the prime of his baseball life for his military service.
 
HEAD COACH…FRANK "PETE" BAUSCH
 
In the same announcement came word that the team would be led by player-coach Frank "Pete" Bausch, younger brother of famed Olympic gold medal winner in the 1932 decathlon, James Bausch. 
 
What a great hire.  "Pete" Bausch was considered one of the best centers in the NFL-NFC in the 30"s.  One of the greatest all-around athletes ever at Kansas University, Bausch was a graduate of Wichita's Cathedral High. Bausch won nine letters in football, basketball and track as a shot putter at KU and was a two time All-Pro lineman in the NFL-NFC, where he played for the Boston Redskins (1934-36), Chicago Bears (1937-40) and Philadelphia Eagles (1941).
 
Bausch's desire to get into coaching at the professional level took him to Philadelphia in 1941 to coach for Pro Football Hall of Fame Head Coach "Greasy" Neale.
 
Bausch returned to Wichita in early 1942 and went to work at Boeing as a guard.  Later in 1942, Bausch took the job as assistant chief of police and head football coach at the Aero Parts Company. 
 
Bausch even had the backing of the greatest professional head football coach of the era, George Halas of the Chicago Bears.  "I consider Frank "Pete" Bausch as a most capable coach," Halas said, "and I wish the Wichita team every success."  Bausch was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the Halas years later.
 
By the way, for your information…Bausch used the "T" formation.  At the time, it was the dominate offense used by the NFL and at the college level, because of its wide open style.
 
After his football career, Bausch founded Weyl-Bausch Tire Service with his partner, Don Weyl.  Their first location was at 157 N. Waco.  Bausch ran his successful tire business for many years and became a respected member of the Wichita business community.

Wichitanewsbrief.com  10/21/2005