Frank Butner Anderson (June 16, 1882 – November 8, 1966) was an American college football, and baseball coach as well as athletic director. He was the first football and baseball coach in the history of Oglethorpe University and the namesake of its baseball field.[1] The field was dedicated as such on May 11, 1963. Anderson was inducted into the Oglethorpe Athletic Hall of Fame, a member of its inaugural class of 1962.[2] He always wore his baseball uniform to practice and to games. He is known by some as the "Dean of Southern Baseball Coaches."[1][3] Frank is the father of Alf Anderson.
![]() Anderson on the left next to Kirby Malone | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Powder Springs, Georgia, U.S. | June 16, 1882
Died | November 8, 1966 Albany, Georgia, U.S. | (aged 84)
Playing career | |
Baseball | |
1903–1904 | Georgia |
Position(s) | Second baseman |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Football | |
1904 | University School for Boys (assistant) |
1905 | University School for Boys |
1906–1907 | Robert E. Lee Institute |
1908–1909 | Gordon Military Institute |
1910–1911 | Georgia (assistant) |
1917–1919 | Oglethorpe |
Baseball | |
1910–1913 | Georgia |
1916–1944 | Oglethorpe |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 8–11–1 (college football) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
Oglethorpe Athletic Hall of Fame Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame | |
Early years
editFrank Anderson was born on June 16, 1882, on a family farm near Powder Springs in Cobb County, Georgia.
University of Georgia
editIn 1900 he enrolled at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens. He played three years of varsity baseball and was All-Southern second baseman in 1903 and 1904, when he captained the team.[4] He once hit a two out, ninth inning home run to tie rival Georgia Tech. Anderson played in the backfield on Georgia's football team. He also was a star on the Track and Field team and held the UGA record in the 220 and 440 for 30 years.[5]
Coaching years
editPrep school
editAfter university, Anderson began teaching mathematics and coaching baseball at various high schools around Atlanta, Georgia. He won a state championship with the University School for Boys at Stone Mountain, Georgia in his first year. He also assisted the football team as an assistant under former Clemson player Hope Sadler.[5] He also coached at the Robert E Lee Institute of Thomaston, Georgia and at the Gordon Military Institute.
Georgia
editAnderson returned to Georgia to coach his alma mater's baseball teams from 1910 to 1913. He won consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships in 1911 and 1912.
Oglethorpe
editAnderson established the football and baseball programs for Oglethorpe University in 1917. He was the football coach until 1919.[3] He was the baseball coach until 1944. Amongst his baseball players were Luke Appling and Jay Partridge.[1]
Head coaching record
editCollege football
editYear | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels (Independent) (1917–1919) | |||||||||
1917 | Oglethorpe | 1–2 | |||||||
1918 | Oglethorpe | 5–3 | |||||||
1919 | Oglethorpe | 2–6–1 | |||||||
Oglethorpe: | 8–11–1 | ||||||||
Total: | 8–11–1 |
References
edit- ^ a b c Paul Hudson. "Frank Anderson: The Dean of Southern College Baseball Coaches, 1916–1944". Archived from the original on June 2, 2011.
- ^ "Oglethorpe Athletic Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on January 4, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ a b "The Flight of the Stormy Petrel". Archived from the original on March 27, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ “Georgia’s All-Time Baseball Record, 1886–1949,” University of Georgia 1950 Media Guide, University of Georgia Athletic Department Records, Athens, Georgia.
- ^ a b "Prep School Football Season Was Remarkably Successful". Atlanta Constitution. November 20, 1904. p. 5. Retrieved March 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.