MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – The NFL Draft has evolved greatly over the decades, as Green Bay is set to host the 90th event. While it has been taken on the road to varying host cities since 2015, it remained stationary for decades, particularly in New York City in the latter half of the 20th century.
But in the early days of the draft, it was also taken on the road. Not for the fan experience, but because it was tied into the weekend of the championship game for team leadership to attend.
The host team of the NFL championship game also hosted the draft. In 1939, the Packers hosted the New York Giants on December 6, winning in a shutout 27-0. But rather than Green Bay, the game was in Milwaukee.
Food vendors, inspectors prepare for influx of fans at NFL Draft in Green Bay
West Allis, to be exact. The game was played at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, as Green Bay’s City Stadium was deemed to be too small.
So that year’s draft, the fifth ever and known as the 1940 NFL Draft which took place on December 5, 1939, was held in the Empire Room at what was then Hotel Schroeder in Milwaukee and is now known as Hilton Milwaukee.
“The original owners spared no expense,” Hilton Milwaukee general manager Jeff Stewart said. “We’ve got the original chandeliers, the gold leaf decorations throughout and the 16-foot windows are the same as they were back then.”
While there are no longer figures alive with recollections of the draft, a history hall in the hotel tells the story along with other anecdotes passed down through historical accounts and newspaper coverage.
“In this very room, the legends gathered. Curly Lambeau, Art Rooney, George Halas, they were all right in this room, kind of as you see it today,” Stewart said. “10 teams gathered, there were 200 picks. Dance floor was put down, each team had their own table on the dance floor.”
“After the draft, the owners all got together at a dinner hosted by the Green Bay Packers. Enjoyed great steak tenderloins, cigars, and capped off a wonderful evening.”
The hotel, built in 1927, is the largest in the city with more than 700 hotel rooms. Stewart says that along with the Pfister Hotel, another owned today by the Marcus Corporation, it is the most historic hotel in Milwaukee.
“Yes, it is the most historic hotel in our opinion. Obviously, we still have the Pfister which is still a historic landmark in Milwaukee,” Stewart said. “This entrance and these steps, is still the same as it was in 1939. You can still see a lot of the history and architecture of the hotel is still intact.”
The hotel is undergoing a renovation that will be completed in June. The $40 million is focused mainly on updating more than 550 hotel rooms, and will also replace the carpet and paint in the Empire Room.
“This is getting everything our travelers are going to enjoy in their rooms. Fridges, safes, upgraded Wi-Fi, bedside charging,” Stewart said. “We will still maintain the history and integrity of the Empire Room. Certainly, some of the things I mentioned earlier, the chandeliers, the gold decorative art leafs, and certainly the windows add to this ballroom.”
Northeast Wisconsinites predict wide-ranging impacts of Trump tariffs
To this day, the hotel and the Empire Room continue to have a significant presence in the city of Milwaukee and for guests from around the world, of all backgrounds.
“This room hosts numerous events, weddings, galas, conferences. And this room does it all,” Stewart said. “Everyone made it a point to stop at the Hilton. We’ve had presidents, Prince of Norway here back in 1939. So to maintain part of that story is incredibly important to us.”
