Julius Franks

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Name=Julius Franks
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number=62
College=Michigan
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Julius Franks is a former All-American guard who played football at the University of Michigan from 1941-1942. Franks wore #62 as a varsity letterman in 1941 and #63 in 1942. [cite web|url=http://141.211.39.65/allroster/FMPro|title=Bentley Historical Library -- -- U of M Football Rosters: Franks|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|accessdate=2007-11-26|date=2003-08-25] Franks is the first African-American Michigan Wolverines football player to become an All-American.cite book|author=Cnockaert, Jim|title=Michigan: Where Have You Gone?|year=2004|isbn=1582617716|publisher=Sports Publishing] Illness cut short his collegiate athletic career.

Franks pursued a career in dentistry after Michigan. He also became an active community leader who contributed his time to public service and who helped to integrate city-state|Grand Rapids|Michigan by financing home construction in a majority Caucasian neighborhood.

The first African-American All-American at Michigan

Franks was a native of city-state|Hamtramck|Michigan and was named to the city-state|Detroit|Michigan all-city team after the 1939 high school football season. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Michigan where he became the third African-Americans to play for the Michigan Wolverines football team. In 1942, he became the first African-American at Michigan to earn All-American honors. Head coach Fritz Crisler said Franks was one of the hardest working players he ever coached. The 1942 Wolverines' offensive line that included Franks, Al Wistert, Robert Kolesar, Merv Pregulman, and Elmer Madar, was known as the "Seven Oak Posts."cite web|url=http://www.bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aafranks.htm|title=University of Michigan Football All-American: Julius Franks|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2007-01-10|accessdate=2007-11-26] Franks credited the group's success to playing scrimmages as rookies against the 1940 offense that included Tom Harmon, Forest Evashevski, and Bob Westfall. Franks was a 60-minute player as a junior in 1942 and was named a first-team All American.

In 1943, Franks and teammate Tom Kuzma came down with tuberculosis and were hospitalized at University Hospital for 25 months as they recuperated. Franks recalled that Fritz Crisler was a regular visitor to his hospital room, and Tom Harmon also stopped to visit while on leave from military service. As a result of the hospitalization, Franks missed his senior year as a football player.

In 1982, Franks was named to the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in the fifth class of inductees. Only eleven Michigan football players earned this honor before him. [cite web|url=http://www.letterwinnersmclub.com/hallofhonor.html|title=Hall of Honor|publisher=M Club|accessdate=2007-11-26]

Professional career and community service

Franks graduated from the University of Michigan Dental School and practiced dentistry in Grand Rapids, Michigan for more than 40 years. Franks was also a leader in the Urban League, United Way, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and Rotary Club. In 1964, Michigan Governor George Romney appointed Franks to the Western Michigan University Board of Trustee.

In the 1960s, Franks had a role in integrating Grand Rapids. In the early 1960s, African Americans were not welcome in Grand Rapids' "white" middle-class neighborhoods, and realtors would not even show them houses. In 1962, Franks' friend, J.E. Adams found vacant land designated as a potential park site. Adams, Franks, and friends Joesph Lee and Samuel Triplett created a plan to purchase the convert|20|acre|m2|0|lk=on site and build a middle-class neighborhood for African-Americans. The announcement "caused an uproar that resulted in protests, lawsuits and threats." When banks refused to finance the project, the four men purchased the land on their own for $60,000 and started building. The first of 51 houses was completed in 1965. Today, the neighborhood, known as Auburn Hills (not to be confused with city-state|Auburn Hills|Michigan), has a population of 542 and the lowest crime rate in Grand Rapids. [cite web|url=http://www.grmag.com/features/08-07/08-07.htm|title=A City of Neighbors|accessdate=2007-11-27|publisher=Gemini Publications|author=Brown, Josh, Sara Cosgrove, Emily Rattrayand Caitlan Spronk]

In 1992, Franks contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome, which forced him into retirement.

In 2006, the Michigan Alumni Club gave Franks the "Paul G. Goebel, Sr. Distinguished Alumni in Athletics Award." [cite web|url=http://umclubs.com/grandrapids/index.php?page=past-golf|accessdate=2007-11-27|title=2006 Golf Outing & Sports Banquet|publisher=UMAlumni.com] [cite news|title="Former U=M lineman to get distinguished alumni award; Franks recognized for contributions to area" | publisher = Grand Rapids Press| date=2006-05-12|accessdate=2007-11-28]

ee also

* University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

Notes

ources

* Jim Cnockaert, "Michigan: Where Have You Gone?" (2004 Sports Publishing), pp. 76-79.