Helms Athletic Foundation

The Helms Athletic Foundation was a Los Angeles-based organization devoted to promoting athletics, amateur competition, sportsmanship, and the preservation of sporting history. It was established in 1936 by bakery proprietor and sports patron Paul H. Helms together with Bill Schroeder, a collector and administrator who became the foundation’s managing director. Helms supplied the financial backing, while Schroeder brought an extensive personal collection of sporting memorabilia and a strong interest in recognizing athletic achievement. The foundation began under the name Helms Olympic Athletic Foundation and operated from a rented office in downtown Los Angeles. Its activities centered on awards, rankings, championship designations, and the collection of historical artifacts. It became particularly prominent for selecting national college football and basketball champions, making All-America selections, recognizing coaches and players, and presenting awards connected with the Rose Bowl, Pacific Coast football, and Southern California athletics. Schroeder often personally made the selections; in a 1967 description of his role, he characterized himself as a committee of one. The organization expanded its public presence with the dedication of Helms Hall in 1948. Located near Helms Bakery in the Culver City area, the building contained a sports museum, the foundation’s library and memorabilia, and the Helms Hall of Fame. The institution recognized figures and achievements across a wide range of sports, including professional football, Major League Baseball, the Pacific Coast League, basketball, fencing, golf, tennis, swimming, auto racing, track and field, and soaring. It also operated halls of fame associated with college basketball and college football. The foundation’s awards extended beyond the United States. Its Helms World Trophy, also known as the Helms Award or Helms Trophy, honored leading amateur athletes from the world’s continents. The program was organized from 1939 and retrospectively connected its scope with Olympic-era sporting history. National bodies nominated athletes for consideration, and recipients were presented with a silver plaque while their names were added to a trophy displayed at the foundation. The organization’s financial base changed after Paul Helms died in 1957. His family continued to support the foundation for a time, but the closure of Helms Bakery in 1969 removed its principal source of backing. Schroeder subsequently obtained sponsorship from United Savings & Loan, leading to the name United Savings–Helms Athletic Foundation. Following United’s merger with Citizens Savings & Loan in 1973, the organization became the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation. In 1982, sponsorship by First Interstate Bank produced another renaming, to the First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation. Bill Schroeder died in 1987. In the foundation’s later period, its collection, library, and archives were transferred under the direction of Peter Ueberroth to the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, which was later renamed the LA84 Foundation. The Helms organization itself subsequently dissolved, but its records and material culture continued through that successor institution. Its legacy rests less on commercial branding than on the influence of its awards, its early national championship selections, its halls of fame, and its preservation of American and international sports history.

The Helms Athletic Foundation emerged from the partnership of Paul H. Helms and Bill Schroeder. Helms had built his fortune through Helms Bakery and had an established connection with organized sport: the bakery had supported the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and its Olympic-branded bread was associated with the event. Schroeder, meanwhile, had accumulated a substantial collection of sports memorabilia and wanted institutional support for a hall of fame and a program honoring athletes. With Helms providing financial support, Schroeder began operating the organization in Los Angeles in 1936. It was initially called the Helms Olympic Athletic Foundation. From a rented downtown office, Schroeder issued announcements concerning the foundation’s many awards and selections. The organization’s mission combined public recognition of athletic performance with the preservation of sports history. It was especially active in amateur and collegiate sport, although its halls of fame and recognition programs eventually covered professional and specialized disciplines as well. The foundation became known for selecting national champions in college football and basketball and for choosing All-America teams in several college sports. It also presented awards for Southern California athletes, including monthly and annual player honors, and recognized Rose Bowl players, coaches, and Pacific Coast football figures. Schroeder exercised considerable personal authority over many selections. His role illustrates the foundation’s distinctive character: it was a privately funded, personality-driven institution rather than a modern voting body with a large formal membership or an independently administered statistical system. A major institutional milestone came in 1948, when Helms Hall was dedicated near the bakery’s Culver City premises. The building housed Schroeder’s memorabilia, a museum, a library, and the Helms Hall of Fame. The foundation created or maintained halls of fame covering college basketball, college football, professional football, Major League Baseball, the Pacific Coast League, basketball, fencing, golf, tennis, swimming, auto racing, track and field, and soaring. This breadth made Helms Hall both an awards center and an important repository for sports artifacts. The foundation also developed an international profile through the Helms World Trophy. Established as an annual honor in 1939, the award recognized a leading amateur athlete from each represented continent. Athletes were nominated by their countries and assessed by the foundation. Winners received silver plaques, and their names were added to a trophy maintained at the foundation. The program’s historical framing reached back to the era of the first modern Summer Olympics, although individual award records varied by continent and period. Paul Helms died in 1957. His family continued to support the organization, but the eventual closure of Helms Bakery in 1969 ended the foundation’s original financial relationship with the Helms business. Schroeder then sought outside sponsors. United Savings & Loan became associated with the organization, producing the name United Savings–Helms Athletic Foundation. A 1973 corporate merger led to the name Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation. In 1982, sponsorship by First Interstate Bank resulted in the name First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation. Schroeder remained the central operating figure until his death in 1987. The institution’s later history was defined by the preservation rather than expansion of its original structure. Under the direction of Peter Ueberroth, the collection, library, and archives were transferred to the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles. That organization was renamed the LA84 Foundation in 2007. The Helms Athletic Foundation ultimately dissolved, but its records and objects survived within the LA84 Foundation’s sports-history holdings. Its continuing significance derives from its early role in formalizing athletic awards, its influential championship selections, and its extensive documentation of sport in Southern California, the United States, and the wider amateur sporting world.

• 2007

  Successor institution adopts the LA84 Foundation name

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles, which absorbed the Helms collection and archives, was renamed the LA84 Foundation.

• 1987

  Bill Schroeder dies

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation's co-founder and longtime managing director died, marking the end of its principal operating era.

• 1982

  First Interstate sponsorship begins

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The organization adopted the name First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation after First Interstate Bank assumed sponsorship.

• 1973

  Foundation renamed after United Savings merger

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Following United Savings & Loan's merger with Citizens Savings & Loan, the organization became the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation.

• 1969

  Helms Bakery closes

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The closure of Helms Bakery ended the foundation's original corporate funding relationship and prompted a search for new benefactors.

• 1957

  Paul H. Helms dies

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The death of the founder and benefactor began a later period in which the foundation remained supported by his family before seeking new sponsors.

• 1948

  Helms Hall dedicated

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  A new facility near Helms Bakery opened as a sports museum and home of the Helms Hall of Fame.

• 1939

  Helms World Trophy program begins

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation established an annual international award recognizing leading amateur athletes from the world's continents.

• 1936

  Foundation established

  [1]Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Paul H. Helms and Bill Schroeder established the organization in Los Angeles, initially using the name Helms Olympic Athletic Foundation.

A civic and philanthropic sports institution that combined athletic recognition, amateur-sport advocacy, championship selection, museum and archival work, and halls of fame.

• International amateur sports award · 1939

  Helms World Trophy

  An annual award created in 1939 to recognize a leading amateur athlete from each represented continent. Candidates were nominated by their countries, and recipients received a silver plaque and had their names added to a trophy displayed by the foundation. The award program helped give the Los Angeles organization an international dimension beyond its extensive Southern California and collegiate activities.

• Sports hall of fame · 1948

  Helms Hall of Fame

  The foundation's hall of fame, housed in Helms Hall after its 1948 dedication, recognized athletes and contributors across numerous sports. Related recognition programs covered college and professional football, college basketball, baseball, basketball, fencing, golf, tennis, swimming, auto racing, track and field, soaring, and the Pacific Coast League.

• Sports rankings and awards · 1936

  College championship selections

  The foundation selected national championship teams in college football and college basketball and made All-America selections in several collegiate sports. These decisions were closely associated with Bill Schroeder, who personally handled many of the organization’s selections during its most influential period.

• Sports reference publications

  Helms annual publications

  The foundation was associated with annual reference works including the Helms Football Annual, Helms Basketball Annual, and Helms Track & Field Annual. These publications complemented the organization’s awards and archival work by documenting athletic results, players, teams, and historical achievements.

• 1969

  Search for replacement sponsorshipStrategy

  Background

  The closure of Helms Bakery removed the organization’s original commercial benefactor.

  Action taken

  Bill Schroeder secured new sponsorship arrangements, beginning with United Savings & Loan.

  Aftermath

  The organization operated under several sponsor-based names, including United Savings–Helms, Citizens Savings, and First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation.

  Source

• 1948

  Creation of Helms HallStrategy

  Background

  The foundation needed a permanent public setting for its memorabilia, museum activities, and halls of fame.

  Action taken

  It dedicated a purpose-built facility near Helms Bakery in the Culver City area.

  Aftermath

  Helms Hall became the foundation's visible institutional home and preserved its sports collection for public and historical use.

  Source

• 1939

  Launch of the Helms World TrophyProduct launch

  Background

  The foundation sought to extend its athletic-recognition mission beyond local and national competition.

  Action taken

  It established an annual award for leading amateur athletes representing the world's continents.

  Aftermath

  The award became the foundation's principal international recognition program and continued for multiple decades.

  Source

• Transfer of historical holdings to a successor foundationOther

  Background

  As the Helms organization approached dissolution, its collection, library, and archives required institutional preservation.

  Action taken

  Under Peter Ueberroth's direction, the holdings were absorbed by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles.

  Aftermath

  The successor organization, later renamed the LA84 Foundation, became the continuing institutional home for the Helms materials.

  Source

1. 1Helms Athletic Foundationen.wikipedia.org