Helms Athletic Foundation

The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of basketball experts to select national collegiate basketball champions. The panel met annually to vote on a champion from the previous season through 1982. From 1939, when the NCAA Tournament started, the Helms and NCAA Division I champions were the same, except for 1939-40-44-54.

The Helms Foundation also researched records dating back to 1901 to rank the nation's top teams dating back to 1901.

When the Helms Foundation dissolved, its historical holdings were absorbed into the collection of the Amateur Athletic Foundation.