As the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960-1988, Tex Schramm was a key figure in turning the Cowboys into one of the most successful professional sports franchises in history. In 1959 Schramm was hired by club owner Clint Murchison Jr to build the Dallas Cowboys. Schramm then hired head coach Tom Landry and director of player personnel Gil Brandt. From 1960-1988, these men led the Cowboys to 20 consecutive winning seasons, 18 playoff appearances, and five Super Bowls with two championships. Schramm was also a key figure in the success of the NFL especially when he and AFL founder Lamar Hunt orchestrated the AFL-NFL merger, which culminated in 1970. As the NFL Competition Committee chairman for 23 years, Schramm advocated such innovations as wireless referee microphones, the wild-card playoff system, wider out-of-bounds stripes, sudden-death overtime, moving the goal posts to the back of the end zone and instant replay. In 1975 he created the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. The University of Texas graduate started his career as a sportswriter for the Austin American-Statesman then worked ten years for the Los Angeles Rams beginning in 1947. He then worked briefly for CBS television where he came up with the idea of televising the Winter Olympics. In 1991 he became the first non-player or coach to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.