Francis Dunn
Encyclopedia
Francis A. "Mother" Dunn a native of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
, was an American football
player as well as head football coach for the Dickinson College Red Devils
(then known as the Red and White) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
. While coaching at Dickinson he also played professional football for the Canton Bulldogs
. After coaching he served as a corporate attorney in the steel industry until he retired in 1969
fraternity, as well as serving as president of the Athletic Association. A well rounded student he also sang with the Glee Club
and sat on the editorial board of the college yearbook
. He is considered one of greatest all-round athletes in the Dickinson's history earning two letters for basketball and four letters in football. During his senior year at Dickinson he married and had a daughter.
Dunn received the nickname “Mother” while traveling for his first year of college. It was giving to him by two upperclassman that happen to run into the incoming freshman at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
train station. After finding out his last name, they started calling him “Mother,“ in reference to the Penn State
All-American Center
, William Thomas "Mother" Dunn
.
After he graduated in 1914 he was a teacher and coach at Elkins Park High School in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. The following year he returned to Dickinson and entered the School of Law.
and halfback
for the Dickinson College football team from 1910 to 1913. During his freshman year he started every game and led the team in scoring with 25 points. The next year under new coach Simon F. Pauxtis
, Dunn teamed up Hyman Goldstein in Dickinson backfield. The team finished with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses playing a tough schedule. Dickinson started the season with a 17-0 loss to cross town rival Carlisle Indian Industrial School
that featured Jim Thorpe
and was coached by Pop Warner
. Besides Carlisle, Dickinson faced off with National power University of Pennsylvania
. Against Penn Dunn scored on a 35 yard interception but Dickinson lost by a score of 22-10. This was the most points that Dickinson had ever scored against Penn. In addition to their scheduled games, Dickinson and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School would play midweek scrimmages throughout the season. Dunn was elected captain of the 1912 team. The team started slow with losses to Penn and Carlisle but finished with a 4-4-1 record. The highlight of the season was a 0-0 tie against nationally ranked Swarthmore College
on Thanksgiving Day. Dunn ran for 124 yards against a Swarthmore team that had beaten powers Penn, Navy
and Lafayette
. For the season Dunn led the team in scoring with 54 points on 9 touchdowns. In Dunn’s last year playing for Dickinson, the Red and White finished with a record of 4-5 under new coach S. W. Harrington
. During a game at Washington & Jefferson College
, Dunn play was so impressed the opponent's fans they gave him a standing ovation when he left the game in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with five games in which he had over 100 yards in offence. When he finished playing football Dunn had numerous Dickinson College records including most points in one game (30), most points in a season (84), most yards rushing in a season (114 carries for 959 yards), along with most of the other rushing and scoring records.
. He held this position for the 1915 and 1917 seasons. The 1915 season did not do well for the Red and White. Due lack of talent and size the team finished with a record of 0-9-1. Seven of the eleven starters weighed less than 150 lbs. The team did not score in the first five game and only scored 44 points total for the season. Dunn’s team did manage a 0-0 tie with Western Maryland College in the first game of the season.
For the 1916 season Forrest Craver
, who had been serving as an advisor to the team, returned as head coach but hired Dunn as his Field Coach. He also hired J. Reap , a former Villanova
football player, to assist with the line. In addition the team talent got a boost when Dunn convinced Gus Welch
, considered one of best players at Carlisle Indian Industrial School
, to join the team. The team finished with a 4-3-2 record. One of the ties was against Swarthmore College
, a team that had beaten national powers Penn
and Columbia
. Dickinson came from behind when Welsh tied the game with 5 seconds remaining. Dunn returned to Head Coach for the 1917 season after Forrest Craver and took a coaching position at the Tome School
in Port Deposit, Maryland
. Due to World War I
, few member of the 1917 team returned many choosing to join the military. Dunn coached the 1917 squad to the first undeafeted and untied season Dickinson history. His overall coaching record at Dickinson was 5 wins, 8 losses, and 1 ties. As of 2008 this ranks him 20th at Dickinson in terms of total wins and 20th at Dickinson in terms of winning percentage.
football team, he was also earning money during law school by playing professional football for the Canton Bulldogs
under Jim Thorpe
. Thorpe was tipped off by Gus Welch
that Dunn was planning on playing for the Bulldogs arch rival the Massillon Tigers
. Thorpe hired him to play for the Bulldogs. During the season Dunn would board a train on Saturday night so he could arrive for the game on Sunday. The team would run through plays in the morning and play in the afternoon. Dunn was able to pick up the plays easily because they were based on Pop Warner
’s offence that Warner used when he coached Thorpe at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School
. Dunn was quite familiar since Carlisle was a cross town rival that he played against numerous times.
. He held this job until his bar exam
was reviewed. While teaching at the Tome School, a father of one of the students approached Dunn to take a legal position at the Cambria Steel Company
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
. Dunn stayed with the company when it merged with Bethlehem Steel
in 1923 and retired in 1969.
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
, was an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player as well as head football coach for the Dickinson College Red Devils
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
(then known as the Red and White) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. While coaching at Dickinson he also played professional football for the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
. After coaching he served as a corporate attorney in the steel industry until he retired in 1969
Early life
Dunn was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where attended the local schools. After high school he chose to attend Dickinson College because the school had a law school. While at Dickinson he was member of many organizations including the Student Senate, Sigma Alpha EpsilonSigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity, as well as serving as president of the Athletic Association. A well rounded student he also sang with the Glee Club
Glee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
and sat on the editorial board of the college yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
. He is considered one of greatest all-round athletes in the Dickinson's history earning two letters for basketball and four letters in football. During his senior year at Dickinson he married and had a daughter.
Dunn received the nickname “Mother” while traveling for his first year of college. It was giving to him by two upperclassman that happen to run into the incoming freshman at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
train station. After finding out his last name, they started calling him “Mother,“ in reference to the Penn State
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
All-American Center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
, William Thomas "Mother" Dunn
W. T. Dunn
William Thomas "Mother" Dunn was a collegiate American football player, who played linebacker and center for Penn State University. Dunn captained the 1906 Penn State Nittany Lions football team and that year became the first player outside of the Ivy League to be selected as an All-American by...
.
After he graduated in 1914 he was a teacher and coach at Elkins Park High School in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. The following year he returned to Dickinson and entered the School of Law.
College athlete
Dunn played fullbackFullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for the Dickinson College football team from 1910 to 1913. During his freshman year he started every game and led the team in scoring with 25 points. The next year under new coach Simon F. Pauxtis
Simon F. Pauxtis
Simon Francis "Si" Pauxtis was a professional baseball player and college football coach in the United States. He also served in the Electoral College for the 1916 Presidential Election for the state of Pennsylvania....
, Dunn teamed up Hyman Goldstein in Dickinson backfield. The team finished with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses playing a tough schedule. Dickinson started the season with a 17-0 loss to cross town rival Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
that featured Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
and was coached by Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
. Besides Carlisle, Dickinson faced off with National power University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. Against Penn Dunn scored on a 35 yard interception but Dickinson lost by a score of 22-10. This was the most points that Dickinson had ever scored against Penn. In addition to their scheduled games, Dickinson and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School would play midweek scrimmages throughout the season. Dunn was elected captain of the 1912 team. The team started slow with losses to Penn and Carlisle but finished with a 4-4-1 record. The highlight of the season was a 0-0 tie against nationally ranked Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
on Thanksgiving Day. Dunn ran for 124 yards against a Swarthmore team that had beaten powers Penn, Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and Lafayette
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
. For the season Dunn led the team in scoring with 54 points on 9 touchdowns. In Dunn’s last year playing for Dickinson, the Red and White finished with a record of 4-5 under new coach S. W. Harrington
S. W. Harrington
Dr. Stuart William “Tack” Harrington was an American physician and surgeon, an All-American football player, and a head football coach.- Early life :...
. During a game at Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson Presidents football
The Washington & Jefferson Presidents football team represents Washington & Jefferson College in collegiate level football. The team competes in NCAA Division III and is affiliated with the Presidents' Athletic Conference...
, Dunn play was so impressed the opponent's fans they gave him a standing ovation when he left the game in the fourth quarter. He finished the season with five games in which he had over 100 yards in offence. When he finished playing football Dunn had numerous Dickinson College records including most points in one game (30), most points in a season (84), most yards rushing in a season (114 carries for 959 yards), along with most of the other rushing and scoring records.
College coach
To earn extra money wile attending law school, Dunn took a part time job as the head football coach for the Dickinson CollegeDickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
. He held this position for the 1915 and 1917 seasons. The 1915 season did not do well for the Red and White. Due lack of talent and size the team finished with a record of 0-9-1. Seven of the eleven starters weighed less than 150 lbs. The team did not score in the first five game and only scored 44 points total for the season. Dunn’s team did manage a 0-0 tie with Western Maryland College in the first game of the season.
For the 1916 season Forrest Craver
Forrest Craver
Forrest Eugene "Cap" Craver was a college football player and coach and athletic director who helped to pioneer physical education programs at the collegiate level including the introduction of intramural sports....
, who had been serving as an advisor to the team, returned as head coach but hired Dunn as his Field Coach. He also hired J. Reap , a former Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
football player, to assist with the line. In addition the team talent got a boost when Dunn convinced Gus Welch
Gus Welch
Gustavius A. "Gus" Welch was a American football and lacrosse coach and sports figure in the United States.-Early life:Welch was a full-blood Chippewa born in Spooner, Wisconsin. He attended the Carlisle Indian School, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and graduated in 1911. Gus was one of...
, considered one of best players at Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
, to join the team. The team finished with a 4-3-2 record. One of the ties was against Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
, a team that had beaten national powers Penn
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Dickinson came from behind when Welsh tied the game with 5 seconds remaining. Dunn returned to Head Coach for the 1917 season after Forrest Craver and took a coaching position at the Tome School
Tome School
The Tome School is a private school located in North East in Cecil County in Maryland, USA and is one of the oldest schools in the state of Maryland.-Port Deposit:...
in Port Deposit, Maryland
Port Deposit, Maryland
Port Deposit is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. It is located on the north bank of the Susquehanna River near its discharge into the Chesapeake Bay...
. Due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, few member of the 1917 team returned many choosing to join the military. Dunn coached the 1917 squad to the first undeafeted and untied season Dickinson history. His overall coaching record at Dickinson was 5 wins, 8 losses, and 1 ties. As of 2008 this ranks him 20th at Dickinson in terms of total wins and 20th at Dickinson in terms of winning percentage.
Professional football player
At the same time Dunn was coaching the Dickinson CollegeDickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
football team, he was also earning money during law school by playing professional football for the Canton Bulldogs
Canton Bulldogs
The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and 1911 to 1919, and its successor, the National Football League, from 1920 to 1923 and again from 1925 to 1926. The Bulldogs would go on to win the 1917, 1918...
under Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
. Thorpe was tipped off by Gus Welch
Gus Welch
Gustavius A. "Gus" Welch was a American football and lacrosse coach and sports figure in the United States.-Early life:Welch was a full-blood Chippewa born in Spooner, Wisconsin. He attended the Carlisle Indian School, located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and graduated in 1911. Gus was one of...
that Dunn was planning on playing for the Bulldogs arch rival the Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
. Thorpe hired him to play for the Bulldogs. During the season Dunn would board a train on Saturday night so he could arrive for the game on Sunday. The team would run through plays in the morning and play in the afternoon. Dunn was able to pick up the plays easily because they were based on Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner , most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach...
’s offence that Warner used when he coached Thorpe at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was an Indian boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 at Carlisle, Pennsylvania by Captain Richard Henry Pratt, the school was the first off-reservation boarding school, and it became a model for Indian boarding schools in other locations...
. Dunn was quite familiar since Carlisle was a cross town rival that he played against numerous times.
After football
After the 1917 season Dunn followed Forrest Craver and took a temporary coaching position the Tome SchoolTome School
The Tome School is a private school located in North East in Cecil County in Maryland, USA and is one of the oldest schools in the state of Maryland.-Port Deposit:...
. He held this job until his bar exam
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
was reviewed. While teaching at the Tome School, a father of one of the students approached Dunn to take a legal position at the Cambria Steel Company
Cambria Iron Company
Cambria Iron Company is a National Historic Landmark located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1852 and made many important contributions to the iron and steel industry...
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
. Dunn stayed with the company when it merged with Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
in 1923 and retired in 1969.