Ray C. Bennigsen (1902[1]–1986) was an American business executive who served as president of the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) from 1947 to 1951.
[2] The Cardinals would win the 1947 NFL Championship Game and repeat as western conference champions in 1948, but struggled during the next two seasons.
He resigned in the summer of 1951 and was succeeded by Charles Bidwill Jr.[3] After leaving the Cardinals, Benningsen served as a vice president at another printing company (Hillison & Etten) and was part owner of Fairmount Park Racetrack.
[3] During a 1960 stalemate over the selection of a new National Football League Commissioner, Art Rooney proposed Bennigsen as a compromise candidate.
[4] Another compromise candidate, Los Angeles Rams general manager Pete Rozelle, would be hired four days later.