Spotlight

John Bankert, Chuck Neinas, Mike Van Diest John Bankert President, Pro Football Hall of Fame Why You Should Know Him: John Bankert began working at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in the film library and theatre as a part-time employee in August of 1964. Over a 40 year period he became an Administrative Assistant, Business Manager, Vice President of Operations, Executive Director, and, now President.After leaving the Army as a 24 year old, Bankert enrolled at Canton’s MaloneCollege. He found part-time work as a projectionist at the Hall and once an employee,never left. At the time, the Hall had only 17,000 square feet of floor spacewhich was far too much for a limited collection of memorabilia and exhibits.Today, the floor space has expanded to 83,000 square feet and accommodates morethan 50,000 artifacts. The Canton shrine attracts about 200,000 visitors a