Bob Wetenhall was born in Milwaukee and educated at Princeton. Wetenhall made his money in the field of investment banking as a founding partner in McConnell Wetenhall Inc. Wetenhall purchased the Montreal Alouettes from Jim Speros in 1997, but his interest in football goes back much longer than that. In the 1960s, Wetenahall was a part owner of the Boston Patriots of the AFL and then the New England Patriots of the NFL when the two leagues merged. Wetenhall's venture into professional sports also includes a part owner of a North American Soccer League team in the 1970s. During Wetenhall's ownership, the Alouettes franchise has reached heights of of success unmatched in franchise history, reaching seven Grey Cups in the fourteen seasons between 1997 and 2010. The Alouetttes came away with three championships in 2002, 2009 and 2010. Going hand in hand with the Al's success on the field was success in the stands. Montreal has had sellout after sellout at home, and Wetenhall headed up the expansion of McGill stadium on the mountain to provide more seats for Al's fans.
Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall to be inducted in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Montreal, November 28, 2014
The Montreal Alouettes organization would like to extend their congratulations to owner Bob Wetenhall for his prestigious induction as a builder into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2015.
Since 1997, Bob Wetenhall has held an instrumental role in the rebirth of the Montreal Alouettes, the franchise's business administrations, football operations, and community involvement. Mr. Wetenhall's desire to return CFL football to Montreal coupled with his drive to develop a winning culture are the reasons the team has enjoyed success both on and off the field since the team's move from Baltimore. At the turn of the century, the Alouettes dynasty was in full force, on the strength of eight Grey Cup appearances and three championship wins. In his 18 seasons as the club's steward, the Alouettes have finished in first place in the East Division on ten separate occasions while never missing the playoffs. The Alouettes have won 202 games since Wetenhall became the owner of the franchise, more than any other team in the CFL.
Bob Wetenhall remains intimately involved in every aspect of the team's operations today, playing a key role over the years in the implementation of numerous community initiatives, including the Together at School program where Alouettes players assist kids in making the right decisions, as well as football-oriented programs like the Alouettes Festival. He has allowed the Alouettes to shine all while bringing the team closer to the population. Giving back to Quebec community has always been a priority for the Alouettes owner.
McGill University's Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium has been transformed in spectacular fashion during the Wetenhall era. After moving the team there following two seasons at Olympic Stadium, over 7,000 seats have been added to the venue, which has gone through two major overhauls; the last phase occurred in 2010 with the addition of an upper deck on the South side. During the 2000s, the Alouettes hosted the Grey Cup Final twice (2001, 2008) while playing in front of 100 consecutive sellout crowds starting on November 7, 1999.
Raised in the American Midwest, Wetenhall attended Princeton University and is one of the founding members of McConnell Wetenhall & Co. Inc. His interest in football started long ago as was a co-owner of the Boston Patriots of the American Football League during the late 1960s and continued as an owner of the New England Patriots when the franchise entered the NFL.
Bob Wetenhall at alouettes.com
Wetenhall and the Alouettes Get Their 2010 Grey Cup Rings (Video)
