F. Stuart Wilkins
Encyclopedia
F. Stuart "Stu" Wilkins (born c. 1928, Canton, Ohio
) is a former American football
player, lawyer, and businessman. He played at the guard
position for the University of Michigan
football team from 1945 to 1948 and was a starter on the Wolverines
undefeated teams in 1947
and 1948
. He practiced law for more than 50 years in Canton, Ohio
. He was one of the leaders behind the establishment of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton, serving on the steering committee that prepared the presentation to the NFL, and serving for more than 40 years on its board of trustees. He also served as the chairman of the board of the American Automobile Association
from 1989 to 1991.
, where he was captain of the football team and class president during his senior year. He was selected by the Associated Press
as a first-team All-Ohio tackle
in 1944. In announcing the selection, the AP praised Wilkins for his blocking and defensive work and noted that, because he was only 16 years old, he would be able to play two years of college football
before reaching draft age.
in 1945 and played for the Michigan Wolverines football
team from 1945 to 1948. Wilkins and Dominic Tomasi
were the starting offensive guards for Fritz Crisler
's undefeated 1947 team
that became known as the "Mad Magicians" and has been selected by the ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia as the best team in the history of Michigan football. In December 1947, the Associated Press
wrote that Wilkins and Tomasi were the "equal if not the best" guard combination in the country and described them as "those powerful little offensive guards who make the offense click." Wilkins also played for Bennie Oosterbaan
's undefeated 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
that won an undisputed national championship.
and received his Juris Doctor
degree. He was admitted to the bar in 1952 and began practicing law in his hometown, Canton, Ohio. Wilkins was an active lawyer in Canton for more than 50 years with a practice focusing on real estate, banking, and corporate law.
to Canton. He assisted in preparing the presentation to the NFL which resulted in Canton being selected. In July 1960, he was appointed as the organization's statutory agent and a founding member of the board of trustees. He also helped raise funds to finance the museum, prepared the organization's non-profit charter, constitution and by-laws, and drafted and negotiated all of the contracts for the museum. In 1964, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Canton Jaycees for his efforts in establishing the Hall of Fame in Canton. He was also named one of the five outstanding young men in Ohio by the Ohio Jaycees in 1964. Funds were limited for the operation of the Hall of Fame in its early years, and in the mid-1960s, Wilkins and Canton businessman, Bill Belden, had to sign a promissory note at Canton's First National Bank to enable the museum to meet its payroll.
Wilkins has remained a member of its board of trustees for more than 45 years and served as the chairman of the board from 1984 to 1997.
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) is a former 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, lawyer, and businessman. He played at the guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
position for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
football team from 1945 to 1948 and was a starter on the Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
undefeated teams in 1947
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
and 1948
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
. He practiced law for more than 50 years in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He was one of the leaders behind the establishment of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in Canton, serving on the steering committee that prepared the presentation to the NFL, and serving for more than 40 years on its board of trustees. He also served as the chairman of the board of the American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
from 1989 to 1991.
Early years
Wilkins attended Lincoln High School in Canton, OhioCanton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where he was captain of the football team and class president during his senior year. He was selected by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as a first-team All-Ohio tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
in 1944. In announcing the selection, the AP praised Wilkins for his blocking and defensive work and noted that, because he was only 16 years old, he would be able to play two years of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
before reaching draft age.
University of Michigan
Wilkins enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1945 and played for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
team from 1945 to 1948. Wilkins and Dominic Tomasi
Dominic Tomasi
Dominic Tomasi was an American football player who played guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines. He was a four-year starter and was selected as both the captain and Most Valuable Player of the National Champion 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team.-High school:A native of Flint,...
were the starting offensive guards for Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
's undefeated 1947 team
1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, nicknamed the "Mad Magicians", represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 college football season. Coached by Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines finished undefeated and untied with a 10–0 record...
that became known as the "Mad Magicians" and has been selected by the ESPN Big Ten College Football Encyclopedia as the best team in the history of Michigan football. In December 1947, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
wrote that Wilkins and Tomasi were the "equal if not the best" guard combination in the country and described them as "those powerful little offensive guards who make the offense click." Wilkins also played for Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
's undefeated 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
1948 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan during the 1948 college football season. The team's head coach was Bennie Oosterbaan. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:...
that won an undisputed national championship.
Legal career
After receiving his bachelor's degree, Wilkins attended the University of Michigan Law SchoolUniversity of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
and received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree. He was admitted to the bar in 1952 and began practicing law in his hometown, Canton, Ohio. Wilkins was an active lawyer in Canton for more than 50 years with a practice focusing on real estate, banking, and corporate law.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Wilkins was a charter member of the steering committee appointed to bring the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
to Canton. He assisted in preparing the presentation to the NFL which resulted in Canton being selected. In July 1960, he was appointed as the organization's statutory agent and a founding member of the board of trustees. He also helped raise funds to finance the museum, prepared the organization's non-profit charter, constitution and by-laws, and drafted and negotiated all of the contracts for the museum. In 1964, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Canton Jaycees for his efforts in establishing the Hall of Fame in Canton. He was also named one of the five outstanding young men in Ohio by the Ohio Jaycees in 1964. Funds were limited for the operation of the Hall of Fame in its early years, and in the mid-1960s, Wilkins and Canton businessman, Bill Belden, had to sign a promissory note at Canton's First National Bank to enable the museum to meet its payroll.
Wilkins has remained a member of its board of trustees for more than 45 years and served as the chairman of the board from 1984 to 1997.