In 1940, Art Rooney partnered with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to launch a team-naming contest. Thousands of entries poured in from fans across the region. One of them? A 16-year-old from Clarion County, PA named Ronald Corbett.
Hello, Black & Gold Nation! You know the name. You wear the jersey. You live and breathe every play. But have you ever wondered how our beloved Steelers actually got their name?
Let’s rewind the clock.
Back in 1933, when the team first took the field, they weren’t the Steelers at all—they were the Pittsburgh Pirates Football Club, borrowing the name from the city’s major league baseball team. That move made sense at the time (branding wasn’t what it is today!), but by the late 1930s, owner Art Rooney was ready to give his team a real identity—one that truly represented the grit and grind of Pittsburgh.
Enter 1940. Rooney partnered with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to launch a team-naming contest. Thousands of entries poured in from fans across the region. Among the submissions, one name stood out again and again: Steelers—a tribute to the city’s booming steel industry and the blue-collar men and women who powered it.
Out of thousands of entries, 21 people had suggested “Steelers.” One of them? A 16-year-old from Clarion County, PA named Ronald Corbett.
Ronald was just a teenager when he sat down to write his idea on a slip of paper and send it off. He didn’t have a PR firm, a marketing degree, or even a driver’s license. Just heart. He thought the team should be named after the city’s pride—steel—and apparently, so did Art Rooney.
Rooney sent Ronald a personal letter saying he won the contest, and that it was too late for him to make it in time for a photo with the rest of the winners, but his name would appear among the winners. To thank him he Rooney offered season tickets as a prize, but Ronald never made it to a single game because it was difficult for him to make it to Pittsburgh from Clarion back in the day. In 1940, getting from Clarion County to Pittsburgh wasn’t easy—and for a small-town kid without a car or cash, the journey might as well have been across the country.
So while the Steelers name took root and became one of the most iconic in NFL history, Ronald stayed in Clarion County—quietly holding a piece of football lore.
Roland never told his family about the letter—he had quietly tucked it away in a folder and it wasn’t until after his passing in 1979 that his wife and son discovered it. In 1995, they realized its historical significance and reached out to the Heinz History Center, where the letter is now on display alongside other treasured artifacts in Pittsburgh, PA. A copy of the letter, along with a photo of Roland Corbett, can also be found right here in his hometown of Clarion, proudly displayed at Mechanistic Brewing Company. His son wrote to the owners of the Brewery:
“Due to your extremely close proximity to my dad’s home address, I would propose: I will construct an 11×17 frame, which will include…… a brief summary of what people are looking at, include a copy of original letter, a pic of my dad ( both as seen in article) and copy of original newspaper article. All Ready to hang…! My dad would be embarrassed and honored. He liked his beer and LOVED his hometown. Hopefully this item can add to the enjoyment of your patrons……and Sell more Beer REGARDS, BOB CORBETT”
And that, folks, is the story few fans know: how a kid from a Clarion, Pennsylvania helped name a franchise that would go on to win six Super Bowls, shape a dynasty, and unite generations of fans.
So the next time you see that bold black and gold, give a little nod north—to Clarion County, where a small piece of Steelers history still lives.
There are few more resources online that tell this story. Watch this Fan Nation video.