Bears’ Virginia Halas McCaskey among 5 Hall of Fame contributors
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Contributor Subcommittee named the late Virginia Halas McCaskey on Nov. 4, 2026, as one of five nominees in the contributor category for the Class of 2027. Members reduced an original field of 42 nominees through multiple votes. The subcommittee will meet virtually on Nov. 17 to select one candidate to advance to the full Selection Committee for consideration in early 2027.
The other contributor nominees are Ralph Hay, Robert Kraft, Doug Williams and John Wooten. McCaskey served as the Chicago Bears’ principal owner from 1983 until she died on Feb. 6, 2025, at age 102. She was born on Jan. 5, 1923, less than three years after her father, Hall of Famer George Halas, founded the franchise as the Decatur Staleys.
ChicagoBears.com recounted McCaskey’s long presence across pro football history, noting she accompanied her father and the Bears on the Red Grange barnstorming tour as a toddler in 1925-26. The site said she attended the NFL’s first indoor game in 1932, when the Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 at Chicago Stadium. ChicagoBears.com also recalled that she watched the Bears win four league championships in the 1940s and later presided as owner while the team won five straight NFC Central Division titles from 1984-88 and captured Super Bowl XX following the 1985 season.
The Hall of Fame also is conducting reduction votes in the players and coach categories. Eventually the Selection Committee will consider 15 candidates at its annual meeting ahead of Super Bowl LXI: 13 players, one coach and one contributor. The Hall of Fame’s bylaws stipulate that three to seven new members shall be selected; the Class of 2027 will be announced at NFL Honors in Los Angeles in February 2027 and enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in August 2027.
NFL Sports Blog Take
McCaskey’s nomination recognizes a lifetime of involvement with the Chicago Bears and with pro football that stretches back to the 1920s. The Contributor Subcommittee’s Nov. 17 meeting will determine which nominee advances to the full Selection Committee, where the final class will be chosen. Her candidacy presents the Selection Committee with a historic, long-running connection to the game to weigh alongside other prominent figures.