Arch Ward, the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune between 1930 and 1955, was an innovative sportswriter and promoter who helped shape football history and the modern NFL. Born in Irwin, Illinois in 1896, Ward – who created Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game and the Golden Gloves boxing tournament – founded the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946 as a rival to the NFL. While it lasted just four seasons, three of its teams, the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts moved to the NFL in 1950. Ward also created the Chicago College All-Star Game, an annual preseason battle between the defending NFL champions and a top team of recently-graduated college players. The game, which was first played at Soldier Field in Chicago in 1934, was usually won by the professional team and lasted about four decades.