Art Rooney II
Pittsburgh Steelers
refer to caption
Rooney in 2012
Born: (1952-09-14) September 14, 1952 (age 71)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
CollegeUniversity of Pittsburgh, (B.A), '78
Duquesne University, (J.D.), '82
University of Exeter, (Law)
Career history
As Owner
2003–presentPittsburgh Steelers
Career highlights and awards

Arthur Joseph Rooney II (born September 14, 1952) is the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).[1]

Early life

Arthur Joseph Rooney II was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the eldest of nine children of Patricia (Reagan) and longtime Steelers chairman Dan Rooney,[2] and the grandson of Steelers founder “The Chief”, Art Rooney, Sr. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978 with a B.A. in Political Science.[3] He then attended Duquesne University’s School of Law, where he earned his J.D. degree in 1982.[4][3]

Career

Rooney was named team president in May 2003.[5] Prior to that, he served as vice president and general counsel of the Steelers, and has served on the board of directors of the Steelers since 1989. He is chairman of the NFL’s Stadium Committee, and is on numerous NFL boards, including the Legislative Committee, the Management Council Executive Committee, the International Committee and the Digital Media Committee.[6] Prior to his father's 2017 death, Rooney II held at least a 20% stake in the Steelers franchise, with a combination of him and his father owning at least 30%[2] and was in line to inherit most of the share Dan Rooney held, which would make Rooney II the majority owner of the team.[citation needed] He is one of only two third-generation owners in the league, the other being John Mara, to whom he is related by marriage. (Mara's brother is married to Rooney's sister, and Rooney is the first cousin once removed of actresses Rooney Mara and Kate Mara.)

He currently holds an Of Counsel position with the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. He is active in the Pittsburgh community, devoting a substantial amount of his time to various organizations. He currently serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh Public Theater,[7] Saint Vincent College,[8] the Heinz History Center[9] and the United Way of America.[10]

Personal life

Rooney is married to Greta, and they have four children.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Front Office Staff | Pittsburgh Steelers". Steelers.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  2. ^ a b Bouchette, Ed (2016-02-28). "Breaking the huddle, some Rooneys ready to give up shares in Steelers | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  3. ^ a b c "Pittsburgh Steelers | Tradition of Excellence". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on 2010-02-18. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  4. ^ "Art Rooney II to Deliver Pitt School of Law Commencement Address May 11 | PittLaw". Law.pitt.edu. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  5. ^ "Art Rooney II replaces father as Steelers president". Old.post-gazette.com. 2003-07-22. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  6. ^ "Pittsburgh Steelers ownership at a glance". ESPN. 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  7. ^ Teresa Varley Steelers.com @Teresa_Varley (2012-05-20). "Rooney honored by Pittsburgh Public Theater". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  8. ^ Cohen, Max (2015-07-24). "Steelers faithful: 50 years at Saint Vincent | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  9. ^ "Board of Trustees". Heinz History Center. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  10. ^ Teresa Varley Steelers.com @Teresa_Varley (2015-11-16). "Steelers continue to team up with United Way". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on 2016-09-24. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
Sporting positions Preceded byDan Rooney President of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2003–present Incumbent
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