The National Football League formally awarded its fifteenth franchise to Atlanta on June 30, 1965 establishing the team that would become the Atlanta Falcons. Commissioner Pete Rozelle approved Rankin M. Smith Sr. as the owner after the city made repeated efforts to secure a professional football team. The announcement confirmed that Atlanta would join the league for the 1966 season and marked a major step in expanding the NFL into the Southeast.
Smith purchased the franchise for eight and a half million dollars which was the highest price paid for an NFL team at that time. His investment reflected the citys commitment to building a long term presence in professional football. Local officials viewed the award as evidence that Atlanta had grown into a viable major sports market capable of supporting a new team and a modern stadium.
Later in 1965 team officials launched a public naming contest to select the new franchises identity. A schoolteacher from Griffin Georgia named Julia Elliott submitted the winning name Falcons. She wrote that the falcon represented pride dignity and courage and those qualities were adopted as the foundation of the franchises image. The name was announced soon afterward as preparations began for the teams first season.
The new franchise moved quickly to assemble a roster through the league expansion draft and prepare for its inaugural year in 1966. Training camp planning stadium arrangements and administrative staffing progressed throughout the following months. The founding of the Falcons on June 30, 1965 remains the event that introduced professional football to Atlanta and established a team that would become a long term fixture in the National Football League.
