The Ruling Family Of Sports Is Led By Emperor James

Some have estimated the wealth of James Dougan Norris at a quarter of a billion dollars. That is a good $50 million more than the presumptive value of the fabulous estate left only three years ago by his father, James Norris. Mrs. Norris was left two homes—at Lake Forest, Illinois and Mattituck, Long Island. A secretary was left $30,000. The rest went in equal shares to the four children, James D. (the eldest, now aged 48), Eleanor Norris Kneibler, Bruce and Marguerite.

James D. ended up with the major voice in that portion of the quarter billion (more or less) which the Norrises have invested in the field of sports. It's a big portion. The elder Jim Norris, son of a Montreal grain dealer, played hockey fiercely for the Montreal Victorias. He made his financial start in the Chicago grain pits, extended it in rails, cattle, hotels, banks, shipping and more besides. But what he loved most was hockey and when, having built the Chicago Stadium, he decided to buy the Detroit Olympia, he took the Detroit Red Wings hockey team into his fold, too.

It was he, in fact, who started the sports colossus now lorded over by his son Jim. Young Jim, a personable 6-footer who wore a mustache in high school, never managed to get into college but hung around Colgate (with a man assigned by his father to see that he stayed on the premises) for a while. A widower, Norris commutes busily between an apartment on New York's East Side and homes in Long Island and Miami.

In the years since Norris Senior's death, there has been much trading of his sporting legacy among the Norris children. Bruce, for instance, sold his interest in the Chicago Stadium to Jim and Arthur Wirtz. In turn, Bruce bought Wirtz's one-third interest in the Detroit Olympia, leaving Bruce and Marge as sole owners of the Olympia and the Red Wings, except for a small Red Wing interest held by Eleanor. Jim owns the Chicago Black Hawks. Madison Square Garden owns the New York Rangers. Jim, Wirtz and the Garden own the International Boxing Club.

Some years ago Jim was dropped from the Social Register, although the rest of his family is still installed in that choosy roster. And Jim's stepmother has little interest in his new friends. When Wirtz's name was mentioned to her at a recent dinner party she replied vaguely: "Oh yes, that man who is a friend of James's."