Phyllis Foreman, Godmother of Flyers hockey
A key figure in the lore of the Philadelphia Flyers never received the recognition she deserved.
The Philadelphia Hockey Club, Inc. held a contest to name their newly awarded and its yet-unnamed NHL franchise.
Nine-year-old Alec Stockard of Narberth, PA, and his eight siblings submitted nine of the 11,216 total ballots submitted for an opportunity to name the team and win two season tickets and a 21-inch color television. Ninety-six people submitted Flyers or Fliers. Each of the 96 won tickets, but it was Stockard who had his name drawn as the contest winner.
What the Stockard family, along with the rest of the contestants, did not know was that the contest was little more than a publicity stunt. The organization had already chosen a name and sorted through the options to find those that aligned with their decision.
It was Phyllis Foreman who suggested the name. Foreman was the older sister of Ed Snider, the club’s owner and founder. She was the wife of Earl Foreman, who was part of the original Flyers ownership group.
“Without the Foremans, Philadelphia would not be the city it is today and Flyers hockey may have ceased to exist,” wrote Stevie Potter of The Liberty Line after speaking with her great nephew, Garrett Snider.
Earl Foreman was an attorney for the developer, Jerry Wolman. An opportunity presented itself for Foreman and Snider to join Wolman as owners of the Eagles. Snider moved to Philadelphia, purchasing a seven percent stake in the Eagles and serving as the team’s Vice President and Treasurer.
The experience motivated Snider to take action when the NHL announced expansion plans. The Spectrum was planned, Philadelphia was awarded a franchise, and the rest is history. Well, except for the rest of the history.
The Sniders and the Foremans were on their way home from New York when inspiration hit and, like most Devils fans, the Flyers were conceived in a Howard Johnson off the NJ Turnpike. Phyllis suggested the name “Flyers,” everyone agreed, and then the contest to name the team was announced.
Phyllis was not done with her anonymous branding contributions.
The Flyers hired the agency Mel Richman Inc. to design the logo. Sam Ciccone is credited with drawing the logo as well as the jersey. Ask Ed’s daughter Lindsey, though, and she will tell you that it was her aunt, Phyllis, who created the concept of the P with the wing.
As nothing is created in isolation, it is fair to say that both played their part in the creation of the logo. That the logo remains largely unchanged in nearly 60 years is a testament to the genius behind it and the lifelong commitment that the Snider family made to the beloved club.
Originally published on Broad Street Hockey
