Frank Hinkey
Encyclopedia
Frank Augustus Hinkey was an American football
player. He was notable for being one of only three college football players in history to be named a four-time All-America. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1951.
Born in Tonawanda, New York
, he attended DeVeaux College and Phillips Andover. He graduated from Yale University
in 1895 and was a member of Skull and Bones
. While at Yale he played football all four years, was captain his junior and senior years, and each year was named to the College Football All-America Team
.
He ran several businesses, including zinc smelting
plants in Kansas and Illinois, and worked with fellow Yale teammate and All-American Frank Butterworth
at a brokerage. He was head coach of the Yale team from 1913 to 1914. During those two seasons, he had an 11-7 record.
According to Dr. Harry March's
, often inaccurate book Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
, Hinkey was a referee at the 1903 World Series of Football held at Madison Square Garden
. March states that the officials during the series "were dressed in full evening dress, from top hats down to white gloves and patent leather shoes." During the last play of the series in a game between the Franklin Athletic Club
and the Watertown Red & Black, the Franklin players, knew that they had the game in hand. As a result, the Franklin backfield agreed to purposely run over the clean and sharply dressed Hinkley in jest, knocking him into the dirt. Hinkley took the incident in good-nature and Franklin's management agreed to pay his cleaning bill.
He died from complications of tuberculosis
on December 30, 1925. He was 54 years old.
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. He was notable for being one of only three college football players in history to be named a four-time All-America. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1951.
Born in Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda, New York
Tonawanda may refer to:*Glacial Lake Tonawanda*North Tonawanda, New York, a city in Niagara County, north across Tonawanda Creek from the City and Town*Tonawanda , New York, consisting of the Town of Tonawanda less the Village of Kenmore...
, he attended DeVeaux College and Phillips Andover. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1895 and was a member of Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
. While at Yale he played football all four years, was captain his junior and senior years, and each year was named to the College Football All-America Team
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
.
He ran several businesses, including zinc smelting
Zinc smelting
Zinc smelting is the process of converting zinc concentrates into pure zinc.The most common zinc concentrate processed is zinc sulfide, which is obtained by concentrating sphalerite using the froth flotation method. Secondary zinc material, such as zinc oxide, is also processed with the zinc...
plants in Kansas and Illinois, and worked with fellow Yale teammate and All-American Frank Butterworth
Frank Butterworth
-External links:...
at a brokerage. He was head coach of the Yale team from 1913 to 1914. During those two seasons, he had an 11-7 record.
According to Dr. Harry March's
Harry March
Harry Addison March was an early football historian and promoter, as well as a medical doctor. He also helped organize the National Football League and well as the second American Football League. March is also credited with convincing Tim Mara to purchase an NFL franchise for New York City, which...
, often inaccurate book Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs
Pro Football: Its Ups and Downs, published in 1934, is a novel by Dr. Harry March that was the first ever attempt to write a history of professional American football. March had served in several executive offices with the New York Giants of the National Football League in the late 1920s and was a...
, Hinkey was a referee at the 1903 World Series of Football held at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden (1890)
Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the second by that name, and the second to be located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan...
. March states that the officials during the series "were dressed in full evening dress, from top hats down to white gloves and patent leather shoes." During the last play of the series in a game between the Franklin Athletic Club
Franklin Athletic Club
The Franklin Athletic Club was an early professional football team based in Franklin, Pennsylvania. It was considered the top team in professional football in 1903, by becoming the becoming the US Football Champions and winning the 1903 World Series of Football, held after the 1903 season, at New...
and the Watertown Red & Black, the Franklin players, knew that they had the game in hand. As a result, the Franklin backfield agreed to purposely run over the clean and sharply dressed Hinkley in jest, knocking him into the dirt. Hinkley took the incident in good-nature and Franklin's management agreed to pay his cleaning bill.
He died from complications of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on December 30, 1925. He was 54 years old.