Jim Irsay’s success is largely due to the legacy given by his parents, Robert and Harriet Irsay. Robert and Harriet were major characters in the early days of the Indianapolis Colts, helping to create the franchise’s brand.
Following his parents’ deaths, Jim Irsay assumed sole control of the Colts. As Chairman and CEO, his leadership has not only preserved but enhanced the team’s status, earning him international recognition. Jim Irsay, born in Lincolnwood, Illinois, was raised Catholic. He didn’t learn about his father’s Jewish heritage until he was fourteen.
He attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, before transferring to Mercersburg Academy ’78 in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. Jim went to Southern Methodist University following high school, where he got a degree in broadcast journalism in 1982. He exhibited his athletic ability by joining the SMU Mustangs football team as a walk-on linebacker. Unfortunately, an ankle injury brought an end to his playing career.
Robert Irsay: NFL Legacy and Entrepreneurial Vision
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He, a well-known American professional football team owner, had a lasting impact on the National Football League (NFL) as the owner of the Indianapolis Colts from 1972 until he died in 1997. Robert was born in Chicago on March 5, 1923, to Jewish immigrants from Hungary, Charles Irsay and Elaine Nyitrai.
Robert Irsay joined the United States Marine Corps in 1942, at the height of WWII. Following his military service, he got involved in the family business, joining his father’s heating and ventilation company. Robert Irsay Co. was founded in 1951 by Robert, who was motivated by his entrepreneurial ambition. His project was a major success, resulting in the sale of the company to Zurn Industries about a year before his key acquisition of the Colts, in 1972.
Jim Irsay Parents: A Journey of Love and Loss
Robert Irsay married Harriet Pogorzelski, the daughter of Polish Catholic immigrants, in 1946. The Irsays were ardent Catholics who had three children, Thomas, Roberta, and Jim. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1971 when Roberta was murdered in a car accident on Interstate 294 in Chicago.
Thomas, who had severe mental impairments, died in a Florida institution in 1999, at the age of 45. Jim, the surviving son, has since taken over as CEO and majority owner of the Colts. After more than four decades of marriage, Robert Irsay and Harriet divorced, and on June 17, 1989, Robert married Nancy Clifford at Indianapolis’ Second Presbyterian Church.
Their marriage lasted six years, until November 1995, when Robert Irsay suffered a stroke. He spent months in critical care at St. Vincent’s Indianapolis Hospital. Following his discharge, he was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, due to pneumonia, heart and kidney problems, and other complications. The football mogul died on January 14, 1997, in Indianapolis. Nancy Irsay, Robert’s second wife, died on November 7, 2015, as part of the natural course of life.
Harriet Irsay: A Colts Icon’s Enduring Legacy
Jim Irsay’s mother, Harriet Irsay (Dorothy), was born in 1921 to Polish immigrants in Chicago’s thriving Bucktown district. Her academic trajectory led her to Wells High School, where she graduated in 1939. Harriet and Robert’s early marriage was characterized by hard work.
Harriet worked as a secretary occasionally until 1950, when Robert decided to start his own sheet metal and air-conditioning business. The family’s resources, along with Robert Irsay’s passion for sports, resulted in a significant acquisition: the Los Angeles Rams, which were purchased for $19 million.
Later, in a smart move, he orchestrated a franchise swap that brought the Baltimore Colts into the fold. Harriet Irsay’s enthusiasm for the Indianapolis Colts sprang from a deep love for the team. Despite her divorce from Robert Irsay in 1988, she maintained an active role in the company. Harriet Irsay’s final chapter concluded in 2008, leaving a legacy of loyalty to the Indianapolis Colts that is still felt more than a decade later.
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