Richard France
Encyclopedia
Richard Roy France was an American football
guard
who played for the University of Michigan
in 1898 and 1899.
France was born in Decatur, Indiana
, in 1879. He was the son of John T. France, a lawyer, and Belle France.
France enrolled at the University of Michigan where he played for the Michigan Wolverines football
team. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1899
by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and was a consensus All-Western player that year. France played on the 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team
that won the school's first Western Conference
championship, outscoring opponents 205–26 with a perfect 10–0 record. He also played on the 1899 Michigan team
that outscored opponents 176–43 and compiled an 8–2 record.
France gained press coverage for his role in the 1899 game against the Wisconsin Badgers
that decided the Western Conference championship. Wisconsin was led that year by Pat O'Dea
, considered the greatest kicker in the history of the game to that time. The game was played in Chicago
on Thanksgiving Day
in front of a crowd of 18,000, the largest crowd to that date to watch a football game west of Philadelphia. Wisconsin took an 11–0 lead in the game, largely through the play of O'Dea. There were reports that Michigan's strategy was to put O'Dea out of the game, and he was subjected to a number of rough hits by France and William Cunningham
. On one play, France "came into him like a battering ram after he had punted the ball." O'Dea warned France that if he did it again "there would be trouble." After another punt, France came for O'Dea again, an O'Dea slugged him in the face. A Wisconsin newspaper account described the incident as follows:
The game's referee saw the blow, and O'Dea was ejected from the game. Even without O'Dea, Wisconsin hung on in the second half to win the game, 17–5.
In a draft registration card completed in 1918, France listed his residence as Alliance, Ohio
, and his employer as the Morgan Engineering Co. In a later draft registration card completed at the time of World War II
, France list his residence as Canton, Ohio
, and his occupation as the Sheriff of Stark County, Ohio
. France died in 1953 at age 74 in Louisville, Ohio
. He was buried in Alliance, Ohio
.
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...
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....
who played 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...
in 1898 and 1899.
France was born in Decatur, Indiana
Decatur, Indiana
Decatur is a city in Root and Washington townships, Adams County, Indiana, United States. The city, which serves as the county seat of Adams County, takes its name after the prominent war hero Stephen Decatur, Jr., one of the captains of the original 6 frigates of the US navy...
, in 1879. He was the son of John T. France, a lawyer, and Belle France.
France enrolled at the University of Michigan where he 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. He was selected as a first-team All-American in 1899
1899 College Football All-America Team
The 1899 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1899 college football season...
by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and was a consensus All-Western player that year. France played on the 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team
1898 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1898 college football season. The team, with Gustave Ferbert as head coach, went 10–0 and became the first Michigan football team to win the Western Conference championship. The first great Michigan football...
that won the school's first Western Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championship, outscoring opponents 205–26 with a perfect 10–0 record. He also played on the 1899 Michigan team
1899 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1899 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1899 college football season. The team was coached by former Michigan halfback Gustave Ferbert. The Wolverines opened the season with six consecutive shutouts, outscoring opponents in those six contests by a...
that outscored opponents 176–43 and compiled an 8–2 record.
France gained press coverage for his role in the 1899 game against the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
that decided the Western Conference championship. Wisconsin was led that year by Pat O'Dea
Pat O'Dea
-External links:* Australian Dictionary of Biography...
, considered the greatest kicker in the history of the game to that time. The game was played in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
in front of a crowd of 18,000, the largest crowd to that date to watch a football game west of Philadelphia. Wisconsin took an 11–0 lead in the game, largely through the play of O'Dea. There were reports that Michigan's strategy was to put O'Dea out of the game, and he was subjected to a number of rough hits by France and William Cunningham
William Cunningham (American football)
William Ralph Cunningham was an All-American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines.Cunningham was born at Volant, Pennsylvania in July 1872...
. On one play, France "came into him like a battering ram after he had punted the ball." O'Dea warned France that if he did it again "there would be trouble." After another punt, France came for O'Dea again, an O'Dea slugged him in the face. A Wisconsin newspaper account described the incident as follows:
"Meantime O'Dea had been laying out France, hitting him with such force that the big guard was stretched out and but for the time gained through the wrangle at the end of the goal line and the speedy ending of the half, would hardly have been able to continue playing. O'Dea claimed that the knockout blow was accidental."
The game's referee saw the blow, and O'Dea was ejected from the game. Even without O'Dea, Wisconsin hung on in the second half to win the game, 17–5.
In a draft registration card completed in 1918, France listed his residence as Alliance, Ohio
Alliance, Ohio
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
, and his employer as the Morgan Engineering Co. In a later draft registration card completed at the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, France list his residence as 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...
, and his occupation as the Sheriff of Stark County, Ohio
Stark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. France died in 1953 at age 74 in Louisville, Ohio
Louisville, Ohio
Louisville is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 9,186 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.Louisville is also known as the "Constitution Town". -Geography:...
. He was buried in Alliance, Ohio
Alliance, Ohio
Alliance is a city in Stark and Mahoning counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 22,322 at the 2010 census. Alliance's nickname is "The Carnation City", and the city is home to the University of Mount Union....
.