Dan Reeves, who owned the Rams from 1941 until 1971, was among the most influential NFL figures in the 20th century. Most famously, after the 1945 season Reeves relocated the Rams from Cleveland, where they had just won an NFL title, to Los Angeles. The move was stunning and controversial because up until that point, no professional team in any major sports league was located west of Missouri. The Rams appeared in 3 NFL Championships the next 5 seasons, winning the NFL title in 1951. Reeves also was the first owner since 1933 to sign a black player, Kenny Washington from UCLA, who joined the Rams in 1946. And Reeves was the first owner to hire a scouting staff full-time, among other innovations.