Frank Crawford (March 12, 1870 – November 25, 1963) was an American
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
coach, lawyer, and law professor. He served as the first full-time head football coach at both
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, and also coached
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
,
Baker
A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient history
Since grains ha ...
, and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
for single seasons. Crawford attended
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
and served as a lawyer in Nebraska and France following his retirement from football. He was a professor of law at
Creighton College of Law from 1906 to 1913.
Early years
Crawford was born in 1870 at
Colebrook, New Hampshire
Colebrook is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,084 at the time of the 2020 census, down from 2,301 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauAmerican FactFinder 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, ...
.
[ He was the son of Francis B. Crawford, a starch manufacturer and state legislator, and Susan J. (Randall) Crawford. He attended preparatory school at ]St. Johnsbury Academy
St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) is an independent, private, coeducational, non-profit boarding and day school located in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in the United States. The academy enrolls students in grades 9-12. It was founded by Thaddeus Fairbanks ...
in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.[ He enrolled at ]Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1891. Sources are at odds over whether or not Crawford played football for the Yale Bulldogs football
The Yale Bulldogs football program represents Yale University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). Yale's football program is one of the oldest in the world, having begun competing ...
team. According to the University of Nebraska web site, Crawford was "a member of the dominant Yale teams of the mid-1880s."[ '']The Michigan Daily
''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...
'' also reported that Crawford played football at Yale "for several years."[ However, the University of Michigan web site notes that "Yale archivists found no evidence that he played varsity football" and concludes that Crawford "may have played some football while a Bulldog, but definitely did not win a varsity letter."][
]
Coaching career
Michigan
After graduating from Yale, Crawford enrolled at the University of Michigan School of Law
The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law ...
, receiving his law degree in 1893. As a first-year law student, Crawford was both the unpaid coach and a substitute player for the 1891 Michigan Wolverines football team. He helped lead the team to a 4–5 record. He has been identified by several sources as the first football coach in University of Michigan history.[("Frank Crawford first coach of a Michigan football team and captain of the baseball team")] Other sources indicate that Crawford and Mike Murphy
Michael James Murphy (born 20 October 1941) is an Irish broadcaster, actor and property developer. He is best known for his long broadcasting career with RTÉ, presenting many TV shows such as ''The Live Mike'', '' Winning Streak'' and '' The Bi ...
were the joint head coaches of the 1891 Michigan football team.[ Others state that Murphy relinquished the coaching duties to Crawford midway through the season to allow him to focus on his duties as trainer.][ The '']Chicago Daily Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are ...
'' reported in November 1891 that the Michigan team was "coached systematically" by Murphy, Crawford, Horace Greely Prettyman
Horace Greely Prettyman (November 8, 1857 – March 27, 1945) was an American football player in the early years of the sport. Prettyman won a record eight varsity letters at the University of Michigan, playing for the school's football team fro ...
and James Duffy.
While attending Michigan, Crawford also played for the Michigan Wolverines baseball
The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...
team in 1892 and 1893. He led the team with a .976 fielding average in 1892.[ Crawford appeared in 17 games at catcher and left field for the Wolverines in 1892 and was among the team's leaders in runs (tied for 2nd with 20), stolen bases (tied for 2nd with 13) and putouts (2nd with 115). He was also selected as the captain of the 1893 baseball team.]
In his history of the University of Michigan, Wilfred Byron Shaw
Wilfred Byron Shaw (1881–1959) was an American writer and sketch artist.
Early life
He was born in 1881 in Adrian, Michigan, to Byron L. Shaw (1843–1933) and Olive Stockwell (1842–1919).
His father's brother was the farmer and artist Hor ...
cites Crawford's hiring as a watershed moment in the history of the school's football program: "A new era in the history of football at Michigan began in 1891, when with a fair schedule and an experienced coach, Frank Crawford (Yale, '91), '93l, the systematic development of a team began ..." Although football had been played at Michigan without a coaching staff since 1879, the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
noted at the time of Crawford's death that Crawford "is credited with introducing football at the University of Michigan in 1891."
Wisconsin
In 1892, he coached at University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
and compiled a 4–3 record.
Baker
In November 1892, Crawford served as "a paid coach-captain player" for the football team at Baker University
Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Art ...
at Baldwin, Kansas
Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university.
History
...
.[ Crawford reportedly "brought many innovations," including the training table, to Baker's football program.] He led Baker to the Kansas state championship and a 2–1 record in "the triangular league," including victories over Washburn
Washburn (alternatively Wasseburne, Wasseborne, Wasshebourne, Wassheborne, Washbourne, Washburne, Washborne, Washborn, Wasborn, Washbon) is a toponymic surname, probably of Old English origin, with likely Anglo-Norman and Norman-French influen ...
(44–0) and Kansas (18–0). In December 1892, the ''Leavenworth Times'' reported that Crawford had "succeeded in instilling sufficient foot ball lore into the western farmers to accomplish the defeat of the University of Kansas team by the Baker eleven last week." In May 1893, ''The Baker Beacon'' reported: "The Baker team was ably coached and captained by Frank Crawford who had learned the game at Yale and by the close of the season the team ... was in excellent condition."
Nebraska
In 1893, Crawford was hired as the head football coach at the University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. He was the school's first paid head football coach with a salary of approximately $500. He was Nebraska's head football coach during the 1893 and 1894 seasons and compiled a 9–4–1 record. After starting the 1893 season with a 2–2–1 record, Crawford's team defeated Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, 20–18, in a match played in near-blizzard conditions and considered the "first major victory" in Nebraska history. Crawford reportedly also played right halfback and kicked the field goals for Nebraska during the 1893 Iowa game; he was identified in the record book as "Frank." In 1894, Crawford's team defeated Iowa, 36–0. The 1895 team finished the season with five consecutive victories for a 7–2 record and the school's first ever conference championship. During Crawford's tenure at Nebraska, George Flippin
George Flippin (February 8, 1868 – May 15, 1929) was an American football left halfback and a doctor in Nebraska. He was the first star player of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, the first Black player on the team, and among the first B ...
played for Crawford and became the first African-American athlete in Nebraska history. However, in 1893, Flippin was voted team captain by the team, but this decision was vetoed by Crawford, stating: "It takes a man with brains to be a captain; all there is to Flippin is brute force." Flippin went on to be a well-respected physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
in Polk County, Nebraska
Polk County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 5,214. Its county seat is Osceola. The county was formed in 1856, and was organized in 1870. It was named for President James K. Polk. ...
and the first African-American inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.
Texas
In 1894, the University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
football team suffered its first loss in school history, a 28–0 home loss to Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
. The previous head coach was fired, and a lengthy search was conducted for a replacement. In October 1895, Texas hired Crawford. At Texas, he was known as "Little" Crawford and reportedly "taught the Yale system of play and stressed conditioning." Crawford led the 1895 Longhorns to a perfect 5–0 record, as the team outscored its opponents by a combined 96–0 margin. After a Thanksgiving Day victory over San Antonio by a score of 38–0, Crawford reportedly left for Mexico to watch bullfights and then returned to his home in Nebraska.[ The 1895 season was Crawford's last as a football coach.
]
Legal and teaching career
In 1893, Crawford opened a law practice with Albert Jefferis in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
. Jefferis was a classmate and teammate with Crawford on the baseball and football teams at the University of Michigan and later served in the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
. In 1901, Crawford formed a law partnership in Omaha under the name Crawford & Clarke with Henry Teft Clarke, Jr., a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
pitcher.
Crawford joined the faculty of Creighton University
Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...
School of Law in 1906 where he remained until 1913.[The twelfth general catalogue of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity]
by Psi Upsilon Fraternity, 1917, p. 158. He taught classes in evidence and public service companies.
From the end of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
until the outbreak of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Crawford practiced law in France, first in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and later in Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
.[
]
Family and death
Crawford was married to Hannah Louise McNair, a descendant of four colonial governors. Crawford and his wife moved to France in the mid-1920s and to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in the early 1940s. His wife died in September 1943 at the French Hospital in New York City.
In November 1963, Crawford died at a hospital in Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
at age 93.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Profile at Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Frank
1870 births
1963 deaths
Baker Wildcats football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football coaches
Nebraska Cornhuskers football coaches
Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves football coaches
Texas Longhorns football coaches
Wisconsin Badgers football coaches
Creighton University faculty
Yale University alumni
People from Colebrook, New Hampshire
People from Baldwin City, Kansas