World War II exacted a heavy toll on many aspects of life and society, and pro football — as comparatively unimportant as it may be — was no exception. Players and personnel left to fight overseas in droves, and many pro sports leagues felt the impact. The NFL, to cite but one example, was forced to pare down its franchise roster.
During the offseason leading into the 1943 campaign, league owners approved two major changes: They allowed the Cleveland Rams to suspend operations for the year and they permitted the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers to merge their operations.
This new hybrid team, which became colloquially known as Steagles, was formed on June 19, 1943.
As reported by the Associated Press in the June 20 edition of The Milwaukee Journal, the league also rejected a petition from the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals to merge operations. One year later the Cardinals did merge with the Steelers to form the team known as Card-Pitt.
So far I have just a few programs from the one-season history of the Steagles. You can check out the cover for their preseason game against the Bears at Shibe Park on September 16 right here.