Frank D. Gardner | |
|---|---|
 1944 photograph of Gardner during his US military service in World War II | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 8, 1907 |
| Died |
April 8, 1975 (aged 68) East Hampton, New York, US |
| Occupation | Wrestling coach |
| Alma mater | F&M College (1930) |
| Military career | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Unit | USS Makin Island (CVE-93) |
| Conflicts | World War II |
Frank D. Gardner (April 8, 1907 – April 8, 1975; nicknamed "Sprig") was an American wrestling coach and US Naval officer in World War II.
Personal life[]
Born on April 8, 1907,[1] Frank D. Gardner[2] was originally from southern Pennsylvania.[3] He graduated from Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Franklin & Marshall College in 1930.[4]
In adulthood, Gardner was a Quaker, and lived with his widowed mother[2] in East Hampton, New York.[5] He died in East Hampton on April 8, 1975.[6]
Coaching career[]
Gardner first learned about wrestling while studying at Franklin & Marshall College; his roommate was on the varsity wrestling team, there.[3]
He arrived at East Hampton High School in 1930 to coach baseball and American football. Gardner's successful coaching led to three of his students' enshrinement in the school's hall of fame.[5] He began the school's wrestling program in 1933.[7]
In 1937,[4] Gardner was hired by North Bellmore, New York's Wellington C. Mepham High School to coach both football and wrestling. While there, Gardner developed the practice concept of "chain moves and drilling", which led to 20 years of undefeated Mephan students in dual meets and only one tournament loss. Mephan wrestling alumni were recruited by colleges, and Gardner taught his methods to wrestling coaches across Long Island.[3] He left the school in 1958.[4]
In the early 1960s,[8] Gardner later spent two years at Gettysburg College, rebuilding the school's wrestling program.[4] At the college, he also hosted an annual summer wrestling school for area secondary-school students.[8]
Legacy[]
Despite having never wrestled,[2] Gardner's lifetime coaching record included 254 wins, five losses, and one tie. His wrestlers won 106 sectional championships, 40 tournament titles, one co-title, and three second-places. His influence was widespread enough that he "effected rules concerning weight classifications, match scoring procedures, and tournament procedures at local, state, and national levels."[9]
Gardner was a 1986 distinguished inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum,[3] and as of 2015, the only high-school coach so honored.[5] On May 7, 1987, he was inducted into the Long Island Sports Hall of Fame, as well.[10] In 1992, he was inducted into the Franklin & Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame.[4] As of 2014[update], the annual Sprig Gardner Wrestling Tournament was still being held, then in its 39th year.[7] In 2016, the Nassau County Public High School Athletic Association inducted Gradner into its Nassau County High School Athletics Hall of Fame.[11]
US military[]
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gardner eschewed an instructor's deferment from the World War II draft, and pursued an officer's commission into the United States Navy in early-to-mid 1942.[12] He spent three years as a lieutenant commander, serving aboard the aircraft carrier[4] USS Makin Island[13] in the South West Pacific theatre.[14]
References[]
- ↑ "Frank "Sprig" Gardner: The Father of New York State Wrestling" (in en). W.C. Mepham H.S. Alumni Association. http://mepham.org/sprig.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schoninger, Sam (October 1992). "Coach" (in en). http://mepham.org/sprig.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Seckler, Jerry (2013). "America Needs Wrestling" (in en). Wantagh, New York: The Friends of Long Island Wrestling. pp. 3–4. http://www.friendsoflongislandwrestling.com/pdf/2013_Friends_of_LI_Wrestling.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Frank "Sprig" Gardner '30" (in en). Franklin & Marshall College. https://www.godiplomats.com/trad/hall/bios/Frank_Gardner.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Graves, Jack (2015-04-01). "A Century of Sport In East Hampton" (in en). The East Hampton Star. https://www.easthamptonstar.com/Sports/2015401/Century-Sport-East-Hampton. "The first Golden Era was in the 1930s"
- ↑ "Frank Gardner" (in en). National Wrestling Hall of Fame. https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/bio/68.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Korb, Priscila (2014-12-08). "East Hampton High School to Host 39th Annual Sprig Gardner Wrestling Tournament" (in en). Patch. https://patch.com/new-york/easthampton/east-hampton-high-school-host-39th-annual-sprig-gardner-wrestling-tournament. "The tournament will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13."
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Junior Matmen" (in en). The Westfield Leader. 1963-07-11. p. 4-6. http://www.digifind-it.com/westfield/leader/1963/1963-07-11.pdf.
- ↑ "Frank 'Sprig' Gardner". p. 10. http://www.friendsoflongislandwrestling.com/pdf/Sprig.pdf. "The Father of New York State Wrestling"
- ↑ "25 Years Ago in Bonac Sports" (in en). The East Hampton Star. 2012-05-30. https://www.easthamptonstar.com/Sports/2012530/25-Years-Ago-Bonac-Sports-053112. "Local sports history"
- ↑ Rizzo, Frank (2016-06-06). "Second Class Of Inductees To Athletics Hall Of Fame Chosen" (in en). Long Island Weekly. https://longislandweekly.com/second-class-inductees-athletics-hall-fame-chosen/. "Dr. J., Olympian gold medalist Oerter among select"
- ↑ "Sprig Gardner in World War II" (in en). Treasure Chest. Wellington C. Mepham High School. 1944. http://mepham.org/sprig.html.
- ↑ Stirrat, Bob (1944-05-23). "Sports in Review" (in en). The Nassau Daily Review-Star. p. 12. https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031113/1944-05-23/ed-1/seq-12.pdf.
- ↑ Zuckerman, Don; Dennis, Roger; Phelps, Bob; Sorkin, Larry (c. 2011). "'Sprig' Gardner Viewed from the Perspective of a NON-Athlete" (in en). 50th Reunion Bulletin. http://mepham.org/sprig.html.
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