The Irish-American Rooney family is well-known for its ties to the sports, acting, and political worlds. It arrived in America from Ireland in the 1840s and set up shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the 1880s.
The Rooneys are most known for being the majority owners and managers of the National Football League’s (NFL) Pittsburgh Steelers from the team’s founding in 1933.
Up until his passing in 1988, Art Rooney was the team’s founder and owner. After his passing, his oldest son, Dan Rooney, a former American ambassador to Ireland, became the new owner of the business.
After Dan Rooney passed away in 2017, his son Art Rooney II, the current team president, took over front office duties. Each of the five Rooney brothers owns 16% of the team, totaling 80% of ownership, while the McGinleys, a connected family, hold 20%.
The relatives with the greatest sway within the Steelers organization are Team founder Art Rooney, Former team chairman Dan Rooney, and the current team president Art Rooney II.
The Rooneys have been attributed with a big portion of the team’s success. The Rooneys’ fundamental management style has mostly relied on patience and consistency, two traits for which the owner is well known.