Ray Flaherty. (Pro Football Hall of Fame)

Ray Flaherty. (Pro Football Hall of Fame)

Meeting in Washington, coaches of eastern pro football teams, selected officials to work eastern professional games next fall, April 29, 1940. Seated, left to right: Bert Bell, Philadelphia Eagles; Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins; Steve Owens, New York. Standing: Jock Sutherland, Brooklyn, and Walter Kiesling of the newly re-christened Pittsburgh Steelers. (Associated Press)

Coach Ray Flaherty, left, and Norman "Red" Strader. (National Football League)

Ray Flaherty, left, Washington Reds coach, and George Marshall, right, owner of the professional football club, congratulate each other after the Redskins defeated the Chicago Bears, 28-21, for the pro grid title in Chicago, Ill., on Dec. 12, 1937. (Associated Press)

George Halas, left, owner and coach of the Chicago Bears, shakes hands with Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins coach, after the Bears beat the Redskins, 73-0, in a National Football League championship game in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, 1940. At right is George Marshall, owner of the Redskins. (Associated Press)

Members of the armed forces seemed to predominate, as owners in the National Professional League or their representatives got together in annual meeting at Washington on Dec. 14, 1942. The league voted to continue football during the war if possible. Left to right are: Lt. Comdr. George Halas, USNR, Former Chicago Bear Coach; Lt. Comdr. George M. Glenn, Executive officer of Naval pre-flight school at Norman, Okla., Ray Flaherty, Redskin Coach who is going into the Navy as a lieutenant, and Lt. Dan Topping, U.S. Marines, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. (Associated Press)