Art McNally
The quiet revolutionary of professional football who modernized officiating, introducing instant replay and turning referees into a professional corps.
1925–2023 (age 98)·American football official·Birthday: July 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Art McNally didn't seek fame from the field; he sought respect for the men in stripes. After a nine-year career as an NFL field judge and referee, where he called two championship games, he moved upstairs in 1968 to become the league's first true director of officiating. From that desk, he engineered a quiet revolution. He instituted rigorous training clinics, standardized mechanics across crews, and, most famously, championed the introduction of instant replay as an officiating tool in 1986. McNally fought to improve the officials' lot, securing better pay and benefits, and instilling a culture of integrity and continuous improvement. His legacy is a system where officials are full-time professionals, supported by technology he helped pioneer, earning him the nickname 'the Father of Modern NFL Officiating.'
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Art was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Art Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Art's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 80
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2023Died at 98
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Became the first on-field official inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
- Served as the NFL's Director of Officiating for 23 years, establishing the first formal training and evaluation programs.
- Was the primary architect and advocate for the NFL's first instant replay system, implemented in 1986.
- Officiated as a field judge in the 1961 NFL Championship Game and as referee in the 1967 NFL Championship Game ('The Ice Bowl').
Did You Know?
Before his NFL career, he was a high school teacher and basketball coach in Philadelphia.
He officiated in multiple sports, working one season as an NBA referee in 1953-54.
The Art McNally Award was established by the NFL in 2022 to honor game officials who demonstrate exemplary professionalism and leadership.
“You can't be a good official unless you love the game. You have to love it.”
