The Philadelphia Eagles were founded on July 8, 1933 when Bert Bell and Lud Wray were granted the rights to establish a new National Football League franchise in the city. The previous local team, the Frankford Yellow Jackets, had ceased operations after financial problems, and the league reassigned its territorial rights to the new ownership group. Bell and Wray paid the required league fee and took control of the limited remaining assets, formally beginning operations under the Eagles name.
The founders selected the name Eagles as a reference to the Blue Eagle symbol used by the National Recovery Administration, which was a visible part of President Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Bell became president and general manager while Wray assumed the head coaching role. Although the new franchise inherited rights from the Yellow Jackets, it fielded a mostly new roster and retained only one player from the earlier club.
The Eagles began league play in the 1933 season alongside two other expansion teams. Their first official game took place on October 15, 1933 against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York City. The team lost that contest by a wide margin and struggled through its early years as it attempted to build a stable roster and organizational structure. The Eagles did not record more than four wins in any season during their first decade.
The events of July 8, 1933 established the foundation for what would become one of the long standing franchises in the National Football League. The organization’s early challenges eventually gave way to competitive growth, and the club developed a significant presence in Philadelphia sports culture. The founding date continues to be recognized as a major historical moment for the franchise.
