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60th Anniversary to the naming of the Boston ‘Patriots’

February 20 marks the 60th anniversary of the then newly formed Boston professional football team being officially named the Patriots.

Billy Sullivan’s third hire after being awarded the franchise was old friend Jack Grinold. His first duty was to come up with a name for the club. Sullivan recognized the bonus of an opportunity for free publicity. Grinold spread the word of a fan contest to determine the name.

Nominees included the Puritans, Colonials, Hubs, Pilgrims, Beantowners and Braves. The three finalists were Bulls, Minutemen and Patriots. The 74 people who voted for Patriots won tickets to a home game.