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Tom McNally, one of the retired official's four children, said
in a news release issued by the Hall of Fame that his father
died Sunday of natural causes at a hospital in Newtown, Pa.
The elder McNally was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
McNally began refereeing games among fellow service members when
he served in the Marines during World War II, chosen by his
peers because he was "the man with the most integrity to do the
job," the Hall of Fame's news release said.
He joined the NFL's officiating crew as a field judge in 1959,
then served as a referee from 1960-67. He transitioned to the
role as supervisor of officials, a job he held until his first
retirement in 1991.
"Art McNally was a quiet, honest man of integrity," said Jim
Porter, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "To see
Art's decades of service recognized with his enshrinement as
part of the Class of 2022 was a special moment for the Hall. His
legacy as a strong leader who helped usher in the advanced
training of officials and the technology necessary to keep up
with a faster and more complicated game will be preserved
forever in Canton."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called him "a Hall of Fame person
in absolutely every way."
"Art McNally was an extraordinary man, the epitome of integrity
and class," Goodell said. "Throughout his distinguished
officiating career, he earned the eternal respect of the entire
football community."
Post-1991, McNally served as supervisor of officials for the
World League of American Football -- the precursor to NFL Europe
-- and then returned to the NFL and worked as assistant
supervisor of officiating from 1995-2007. He stayed on with the
NFL until 2015 as an officiating observer and trainer.
The officiating command center at NFL headquarters is named "Art
McNally GameDay Central."
--Field Level Media
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