(center){poses|positions|presents|postures} with the Blues for {a team|a group} {photo|picture|image} {during|throughout} the 1969-70 season. Front row, from left: Al Arbour, Jimmy Roberts, Jacques Plante. {Second|2nd} row: {Bill|Expense|Costs} McCreary, Cullen, Dr. J.G. Probstein.
14 August 2020
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{Team|Group} {attorney|lawyer} James D. Cullen
{Third|3rd} row: Billy Plager, Andre Boudrias, {trainer|fitness instructor} Tom Woodcock.( {Photo|Picture|Image} {courtesy of|thanks to} Ryan Walsh)
{Attorney|Lawyer} James D. Cullen ({second|2nd} row, left )is {shown in|displayed in} this {photo|picture|image} of a Post-Dispatch {newspaper|paper} clipping from 1967. Cullen was {meeting with|consulting with|meeting} the {newly|recently|freshly} formed board of directors of the St. Louis Blues, who were {joining|signing up with} the National Hockey League
as {an expansion|a growth} franchise. Sid Salomon Jr. {is in|remains in} front of Cullen, and Sid Salomon III is {third|3rd} from left in the front row.(Post-Dispatch {photo|picture|image} by Scott C. Dine.)EDMONTON, Alberta– The call {came on|began} a Sunday {morning|early morning} in 1966. Sid Salomon Jr. was on the
other line.”We’re getting up {a deal|an offer} {involving|including} hockey in St. Louis, “Salomon {said|stated}.”Would you be {interested|intrigued} in representing us?”James Cullen, a St. Louis {attorney|lawyer}, {knew|understood} Salomon from politics and the {insurance|insurance coverage}
{business|company|service|organisation}. Cullen, a devout Catholic, {said|stated} he ‘d be over right after Mass. “It’ll take you {a little|a bit|a little bit} longer than that, “Salomon {replied|responded}.”We{‘re in| remain in} Miami.”They {met|satisfied|fulfilled} in an Eastern Airlines {office|workplace} in Miami; Cullen {later|later on} {said|stated}
they {wrote|composed} the {deal|offer} to {purchase|buy|acquire} The Arena on a plain {piece of paper|notepad|paper}. It was the birth of the St. Louis Blues, and Cullen {was there|existed} every {step|action} of the {way|method} for the {first|very first} {decade|years} {or so|or two|approximately} of the franchise’s {existence|presence} as secretary and legal counsel. There {probably|most likely} aren’t {many|numerous|lots of} {current|present|existing} Blues fans who {know|understand} of Cullen. {{But|However} in the {1960s and ’70s|’70s and 1960s}– {anybody|anyone|any person} who was {anybody|anyone|any person} in St. Louis {knew|understood} who Cullen was.|In the {1960s and ’70s|’70s and 1960s}– {anybody|anyone|any person} who was {anybody|anyone|any person} in St. Louis {knew|understood} who Cullen was.} {So when James Daniel Cullen {passed away|died} on July 29 at age 95, {an era|an age|a period} in
Blues hockey ended.|When James Daniel Cullen passed away on July 29 at age 95, {an era|an age|a period} in
Blues hockey ended.} He was the last living {founding|establishing} member of the hockey {team|group}. {“You’re right.|”You’re.} It’s {kind of|type of|sort of} {the end|completion} of the {era|age|period}, “{said|stated} his {son|child|kid|boy} Mike Cullen.”He was {very much|quite} {one of|among} the {founding|starting} {fathers|dads|daddies} of that franchise.”He {traveled|took a trip} to New Orleans to get the licensing rights from the estate of blues legend W.C. Handy to the “St. Louis Blues”{song|tune}. He {attended|went to|participated in} NHL {meetings|conferences} as the {team|group}’s alternate {governor|guv}. On {a couple of|a number of} {occasions|events|celebrations}, with the franchise in {dire|alarming} {financial|monetary} straits, he {tried|attempted} to put ownership groups together.
When {players|gamers} got in a little {trouble|difficulty|problem}, like that {memorable|unforgettable|remarkable} {fight|battle} in the stands in Philadelphia in 1972, it was Cullen who bailed them out and {handled|dealt with|managed} the legal {situation|circumstance|scenario}. And as his {influence|impact} {quickly|rapidly} grew in the NHL, he came within an inch of {becoming|ending up being} league president– now {known as|referred to as|called} league commissioner.”He did {everything|whatever} from the {very beginning|very start}, “{said|stated} Carol Salomon, ex-wife of the late Sid Salomon III and daughter-in-law of {original|initial} Blues owner Sid
Salomon.” He was {very|extremely|really} {loyal|faithful|devoted}, {a fine|a great} {friend|buddy|pal|good friend} of the {family|household}. He {was there|existed} to {guide|direct|assist} them along and he was {very|extremely|really} {critical|crucial|vital|important} to the success.”With the {organization|company}, he was {involved in|associated with} {everything|whatever}. The trades. They would talk all night on the telephone. Jim was {really|truly|actually} into every part of the {formation|development} and the {continuation|extension} of the Blues. The early years. … And {a very|an extremely|a really} dear {friend|buddy|pal|good friend} of Sid III’s. They palled around together, and {gave|provided|offered} each other {a lot of|a great deal of} {support|assistance}.”
Mike Cullen, a St. Louis {attorney|lawyer} himself, has all sorts of stories about his {father|dad|daddy}.
As {a youngster|a child}, he {remembered|kept in mind} {tagging along|accompanying} with his {father|dad|daddy} to Springfield, Mo., to {meet with|consult with|meet} Pat Jones, {founder|creator} of Modern Security Life {Insurance|Insurance Coverage} Co. In those days Jim Cullen had {a lot of|a great deal of} {clientele|clients|customers} in the {insurance|insurance coverage} {business|company|service|organisation}.
Jones had {a lot of|a great deal of} Brahman bulls that Mike {might|may} like to see, his {father|dad|daddy} {told|informed} him. Yes, there were bulls and there was {also|likewise} an indoor {pool|swimming pool}– {unheard of|unprecedented|unusual} in those days. There were some older {boys|young boys|kids} swimming in the {pool|swimming pool} and {one of|among} them was Jerry Jones, Pat’s {son|child|kid|boy} and future owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
Young Mike {also|likewise} {remembered|kept in mind} “Uncle Frank” {coming to|concerning|pertaining to} the Cullen {home|house} in Richmond Heights {several|a number of|numerous} times a year. On every {trip|journey}, he would {tell|inform} young Mike, {maybe|perhaps|possibly} {10 years|ten years} old at the time, to {get into|enter into|enter} a “four-point” {stance|position} and {give|provide|offer} him some football {tips|suggestions|ideas|pointers}.
{Turns out|Ends up} “Uncle Frank” wasn’t a relative at all. He was Frank Leahy, the {legendary|famous} Notre Dame coach, whose {visits|check outs|sees} to St. Louis were to {treat|deal with} {an illness|a disease|a health problem} at Barnes-Jewish {Hospital|Medical facility|Healthcare facility|Health center}.
“How my {dad|father|daddy|papa} {got to know|learnt more about|was familiar with} him, I {don’t|do not} {know|understand},” Mike {said|stated}.
About {four|4} years after {helping|assisting} to form the {expansion|growth} Blues, Cullen {concurrently|simultaneously} {became|ended up being} {general|basic} counsel for the NHL. That’s right, he worked for both the {team|group} in St. Louis and the National Hockey League. There was {full|complete} disclosure to {avoid|prevent} any {conflict|dispute} of interest.
Cullen {became|ended up being} a member of the NHL’s executive committee. For the league, he {negotiated|worked out} the purchase of the California Golden Seals from Charles O. Finley. He {was instrumental|contributed} in the truce {between|in between} the NHL and the World Hockey Association.
{Then NHL president Clarence Campbell took Cullen under his wing and {eventually|ultimately} Cullen {became|ended up being} Campbell’s {hand-picked|carefully picked} {choice|option} to {succeed|prosper} him.
| NHL president Clarence Campbell took Cullen under his wing and {eventually|ultimately} Cullen {became|ended up being} Campbell’s {hand-picked|carefully picked} {choice|option} to {succeed|prosper} him.
}”Cullen is the {top|leading} {candidate|prospect},” Stan Fischler, {one of|among} the most {influential|prominent} hockey {writers|authors} of the day, {wrote|composed} in 1974. “Insightful, {personable|personalized}, and {better|much better} looking than (NFL commissioner) Pete Rozelle. … Cullen is the {man|guy|male}.”
Cullen {told|informed} Post-Dispatch {columnist|writer} Jeff Meyers at that time that taking the league president {job|task} “{depends on|depends upon} the {circumstances|situations|scenarios}. I would {want|desire} the {terms of|regards to} {employment|work} to be {very|extremely|really} {clearly|plainly} {stated|specified|mentioned}.”
For one, Cullen had strong {loyalty|commitment} to St. Louis, {attending|going to|participating in} both St. Louis University High and St. Louis University, where he lettered in football and basketball.
And Mike {recalled|remembered} his {father|dad|daddy} {telling|informing} him that he was {startled|surprised|stunned|shocked} to see Dave Molson, owner of the Montreal Canadiens and part of the Molson beer {family|household}, {walk|stroll} into a league {meeting|conference} in Montreal with {a gun|a weapon} in his {briefcase|brief-case}.
Montreal was league {headquarters|head office} at the time, the Quebec separatist {movement|motion} was strong at the time, and {just|simply} {a few|a couple of} years {removed|eliminated|gotten rid of} from violence. As Mike {recalled|remembered}, his {father|dad|daddy} {said|stated} he ‘d take the president’s {job|task}, if the league opened {an office|a workplace} in {New York|New york city}.
“My {dad|father|daddy|papa} {just|simply} had {a concern|an issue} of {moving to|transferring to|relocating to} Montreal, bringing his {family|household} to Montreal, {because|since|due to the fact that} of the political {situation|circumstance|scenario} up there,” Mike {said|stated}.
{Of course|Obviously|Naturally}, the league is now headquartered in {New York|New york city} and {has|has actually} been {since|because|considering that|given that} 1989. {{But|However} in 1974, it was a non-starter.|In 1974, it was a non-starter.} When the league {said|stated} no to the {idea|concept} of {a New York|a New york city} {office|workplace}, Cullen {said|stated} no to the president’s {job|task}.
“That was it,” Mike {said|stated}. “{Looking back on|Reflecting on|Reviewing} it, he {never|never ever} {told|informed} me he regretted it, {but|however} I got ta {tell|inform} you I {think|believe} that’s something that he {regretted|was sorry for}.”
Cullen’s time with the Blues {came to|concerned|pertained to} an end in 1977, the year the Salomons {sold|offered} {the {team|group} and The Arena|the arena and the {team|group}} to Ralston Purina.
{{But|However} there was much to Cullen’s life beyond hockey.|There was much to Cullen’s life beyond hockey.} As {a teenager|a teen}, he was assistant {traveling|taking a trip} secretary for the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals from 1940-43, {before|prior to} {serving as|functioning as|working as|acting as} a navigator-bombardier for the Army Air Corps {during|throughout} {World War II|The Second World War}.
Early in his {career|profession}, he was {a civil rights|a civil liberties} {attorney|lawyer} {working with|dealing with} the Rev. Ralph Abernathy and the Rev. Martin Luther King. {Later|Later on} in a legal {career|profession} that {included|consisted of} {a diverse|a varied} domestic and {international|worldwide|global} {clientele|clients|customers}, he {drafted|prepared} the constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“I {knew|understood} him well,” {said|stated} Carol Salomon, who {has|has actually} called Durango, Colo., {home|house} for the last 25 years. “He was {a wonderful|a fantastic|a terrific} {family man|married man}. He was {a very|an extremely|a really} intellectual {man|guy|male}. He was well-read.
“In {a very|an extremely|a really} {quiet|peaceful} {way|method}, he was {very|extremely|really} {wise|smart|sensible}. {When he spoke, you listened and {respected|appreciated} him … He was {very|extremely|really} {loved|liked|enjoyed} and well-connected to {people|individuals}.|You listened and {respected|appreciated} him … He was {very|extremely|really} {loved|liked|enjoyed} and well-connected to {people|individuals} when he spoke.} He had {just|simply} {a nice|a good|a great} {way|method} about him that {people|individuals} were drawn to and {respected|appreciated}.”
And he was {an original|an initial} Blue, as much as Al Arbour, the Plager {brothers|siblings|bros}, Glenn Hall or the Salomons.
A funeral Mass with social distancing is {scheduled|arranged|set up} for Aug. 21 at Immacolata Catholic Church in Richmond Heights.
Source: stltoday.com
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