[7] The organization became well known for presenting awards and trophies for local, national, and international competition, naming the Southern California Player of the Month and Year, national championships in college basketball and college football, Rose Bowl Player of the Game, Coach of the Year, Pacific Coast football player of the year, and other such awards for athletic achievement.

[6][1] He sought a corporate sponsor to finance a hall of fame to house his collection and to present awards to local athletes.

In 1936, with Helms' backing, Schroeder set to work from a rented office in downtown Los Angeles.

[7] As the organization's only employee, he issued frequent announcements of the selections he made for the Helms Athletic Foundation's various and numerous awards.

Besides collegiate athletics, the organization operated halls of fame for professional football, Major League Baseball, the Pacific Coast League, basketball, fencing, golf, tennis, swimming, auto racing, track and field,[10] and soaring.

[19] In 1957, the Helms Foundation also released Schroeder's retroactive picks for the college basketball champions for the 1900–1901 through 1918–19 seasons.

[17] The retroactive Helms national championships from 1900–01 through 1941–42 were the opinions of one person about teams that played during an era when, due to factors outside their control (e.g., minimal schedules, lack of intersectional play, differing rule interpretations, minimal statistics), it is difficult to know or assess the relative strength of the teams.

[a] The NCAA recognizes the Helms Athletic Foundation as a "major selector" of college football national championships in their official records book.

Helms Athletic Foundation selected players, coaches and administrators from 1950 through at least the 1970s to its pro football hall of fame.

[89][90] After the initial committee selection, amateur athletes were nominated by their own countries for consideration by the foundation.