Who was the first owner of Chicago Bears? History explored as first female owner Virginia McCaskey dies at 102

Chicago Bears' first-ever female owner Virginia McCaskey has died at the age of 102. She leaves behind a legacy of over 40 years.

George Halas bequeathed control of the team upon his death in 1983 to his daughter, McCaskey, culminating in a run that saw the team make 14 playoff appearances and head to two Super Bowls. They also had a title-winning run in 1985, as NBC Chicago has pointed out.

In the wake of her passing, attention is turning to the annals of the team's history, with many wondering who first owned the Chicago Bears.

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The life and legacy of the Chicago Bears' first owner and Virginia McCaskey's father, George Halas, explored

According to Pro Football HOF, the Bears are one of two charter members of the National Football League that still exist today. Born in Decatur, Ill. in 1920, it all began when the Staley Starch Company made its foray into the football world to sponsor a team.

With a franchise fee of $100 and George Halas to represent them, the company entered into a contract with the American Professional Football Association, which was later renamed the National Football League just two years later, a name that still stands today.

At the time, the Chicago Bears were known as the Decatur Staleys. Back then, Halas was given $5000 and permission to relocate the team to Chicago, but only if he would retain their name for a year. In 1921, the team bagged the league championship, and true to his word, Halas only changed the team's name to what we know today as the Chicago Bears after a year.

During his tenure with the team, George Halas embodied the role of owner, manager, player, and promoter. However, his position as coach is arguably what the world still remembers him by. He coached the team for 40 seasons, having taken a step back three times in his life, one of which was to serve in the military.

Notably, every time he came back to coach, the team bagged the NFL championship. In 1934 and 1942, the Chicago Bears had top-notch regular-season records, and it was only in 1993 that Don Shula was able to break Halas' records.

During his 40 years as coach, Halas bagged six NFL championships, which is tied for the highest with Curly Lambeau and Bill Belichick. In those four decades, his team only ever lost six seasons, with three of those coming toward the end of his tenure. Halas was also the first coach in the annals of NFL history to make it to both 200 and 300 career wins.

According to Pro Football HOF, he once reflected on his love for his team:

"I've loved sports since I was old enough to cross a Chicago street by myself. I'm happy that I made pro football a career. It has been good to me in the material sense, but more important is that I have been associated with youth in all my years as a pro football coach and owner.”

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Halas died on October 31, 1983. At the time, he bequeathed a large chunk of the team to his 13 grandchildren, 11 of which were Virginia McCaskey's children. However, she retained voting power of those shares, which, according to NBC Chicago, came down to an 80% vote in all matters concerning the team.