Kurt Lamm was known as the “Roving Ambassador” for the development and growth of soccer in the United States. He was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Federation Hall of Fame in 1979.
For 43 years, the German-born Lamm served as a soccer player, coach, and manager in the American Soccer League. He went on to become its administrative director, vice president, and president from 1962 to 1967. He was general secretary of its successor United States Soccer Federation from 1971 to 1987.
As a player, Lamm was a fullback-forward for 29 years (20 years as an amateur) with F. C. Schmalnau and F. C. Borussia Fulda—both in Germany, and Prospect Unity, New York Americans, Eintracht, and F. C. Hakoah in the United States. His Eintracht team of the German-American League won the 1944 National Amateur Cup Championship.
During his 14 years as a coach, Lamm’s New York Hakoah team won three successive American Soccer League Championships from 1955 to 1958. He was named ASL’s Manager of the Year for the 1957–58 and 1962–63 seasons.
Lamm personified American soccer from the mid-1940s through the 1970s.
