The Green Bay Packers Hall Of Fame Inc. today announced Packers team historian Cliff Christl will receive the Bart and Cherry Starr Recognition Award presented by the Ariens Company at this year's Packers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. The banquet will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2019, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.
The award recognizes a person who has exemplified outstanding character and leadership in their field of expertise, while consistently demonstrating a personal conviction and commitment to the Green Bay Packers.
Christl has been the official historian of the Green Bay Packers for five years after spending more than 36 years as a sportswriter, mostly covering the team for four different Wisconsin newspapers. A native of Green Bay, he worked for 14 months at the Manitowoc Herald-Times before spending close to 16 years at the Green Bay Press-Gazette and 20 years at The Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Christl served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee from 2002 to 2014 and has been a member of the Packers Hall of Fame selection committee since 2007. He has authored or co-authored seven books, mostly about the Packers and pro football. He also spearheaded the effort to create the Packers Heritage Trail with its 25 historical sites and impressive downtown plaza, which recounts the story of the Packers' rich history from Lambeau to Lombardi.
Christl was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a "friend of basketball" in 2006 and was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in a special citation category in 2007. He was a 2009 winner of a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2013, the Pro Football Researchers Association awarded him the Ralph Hay Award for "lifetime achievement in pro football research and historiography," and in 2018, he received the Superior Achievement Award presented at the Lee Remmel Sports Awards Banquet.
"Cliff Christl has been an extremely valuable resource for research and validation for the Hall of Fame," said Tom Konop, President of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc. "He is one of our main go-to guys to ensure Packers history is verified and represented properly. I congratulate Cliff as a very deserving recipient of this prestigious award."
A limited number of tickets for the Banquet are still available. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. with dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact Holly Borga at 920/965-6986 or hollyb@packershalloffame.com.
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation independent of the Green Bay Packers that guides the Hall as a historic national sports venue and educational resource to the Green Bay community and the state of Wisconsin. The Hall raises funds through its annual Induction Banquet, Golf Classic and other events to preserve the history of the Green Bay Packers and expand its archives. Historic memorabilia donated by individuals to the Hall may qualify as tax-deductible gifts.
Originally established in 1967 as a temporary display in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the Packers Hall of Fame moved into its own facility in 1976 near Lambeau Field. In 2003, it was relocated to the lower level of the Lambeau Field Atrium, and it was closed in November 2013 for renovations. The Packers Hall of Fame reopened in August of 2015, and is now located on the main floor of the Atrium across from 1919 Kitchen & Tap. Groups interested in booking tours and those seeking additional information may visit the Hall online at packers.com/lambeau-field/hall-of-fame/visit.html.
