Francis Lykins Dale (July 13, 1921 – November 28, 1993) was an American business executive and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

political operative. He was also owner and president of the Cincinnati Reds for six years, and served as commissioner of the Major Indoor Soccer League for two years. Dale was a commanding officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during World War II.

Early life

Dale graduated from Duke University and obtained a law degree from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

. During World War II, he served in the

from May 1943 until June 1946. He was a commanding officer of , an antisubmarine craft that captured the , among other exploits.

Career

After returning to civilian life, Dale served as a partner in the

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

law firm of Frost & Jacobs. He was also publisher of ''

The Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, al ...

'' from 1965 to 1973. He was the last publisher to preside over the '' Los Angeles Herald-Examiner''. Dale led an investment group that purchased the Cincinnati Reds for $8 million from Bill DeWitt on December 5, 1966. As team president from 1967 to 1973, Dale was a supporter of building the downtown

Riverfront Stadium Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States that was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball from 1970 Major League Baseball season, 1970 throug ...

, the Reds' home when the park opened in 1970. Generally, Dale was a hands-off owner; he left the Reds in the hands of general manager

Bob Howsam Robert Lee Howsam (February 28, 1918 – February 19, 2008) was an American professional sports executive and entrepreneur. In 1959, he played a key role in establishing two leagues—the American Football League, which succeeded and merged with ...

. Dale sold his interest to minority partner

Louis Nippert Louis Nippert (December 24, 1903 – November 16, 1992) was an American attorney, and majority owner of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from January 1973 to February 1981. Biography Nippert was born in Cincinnati in 1903, a gr ...

in 1973. Dale served on Richard M. Nixon's Citizens

Committee to Re-Elect the President A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

during 1971–1972, and was appointed by Nixon to serve as United States representative to the United Nations in Geneva in 1972 with the rank of ambassador.

Later years

During 1985–1986, Dale served as commissioner of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). In 1988, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree from

Whittier College Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...

. Dale died of a heart attack on November 28, 1993, while visiting

Victoria Falls Victoria Falls ( Lozi: ''Mosi-oa-Tunya'', "The Smoke That Thunders"; Tonga: ''Shungu Namutitima'', "Boiling Water") is a waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa, which provides habitat for several unique species of plants and anim ...

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. He is buried at

Spring Grove Cemetery Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum () is a nonprofit rural cemetery and arboretum located at 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the third largest cemetery in the United States, after the Calverton National Cemetery and Abraham ...

in Cincinnati.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dale, Francis L. 1921 births 1993 deaths People from Champaign, Illinois United States Navy personnel of World War II Duke University alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni 20th-century American lawyers The Cincinnati Enquirer people Major League Baseball executives Major League Baseball owners Major League Baseball team presidents Cincinnati Reds owners Cincinnati Reds executives Members of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President Ohio Republicans Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) commissioners