Fred Janke
Encyclopedia
Fred C. Janke (April 28, 1917 – January 24, 2009) was an American football
player, business executive and politician. He played football for the University of Michigan
from 1936 to 1938 and was the captain of the 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
under first-year head coach Fritz Crisler
. He later became the president and chairman of the board of Hancock Industries. He also served as the mayor his hometown, Jackson, Michigan
, in the 1970s.
in 1917. He played football at Jackson High School, and was selected as an all-state tackle in 1933 and 1934.
, where he studied geological engineering. He played at the tackle
position for the Michigan Wolverines football
team from 1936 to 1938. At the start of the 1937 season, Michigan head coach Harry G. Kipke
moved Janke from the tackle position to fullback, but Janke returned to the tackle position by early October 1937. Despite injuries that resulted in his missing parts of the 1936, 1937, and 1938 seasons, Janke was chosen as the captain of the 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
. He was captain of the first Michigan football team coached by Fritz Crisler
. As Janke played through his injuries, Crisler called him "the ideal team leader." Writing for the Detroit Free Press
, former Michigan quarterback Tod Rockwell
credited Janke and Tom Harmon
with creating a winning team under new line coach "Biggie" Munn. Rockwell wrote, "Janke belleves that no job on the team is as important as his. He is determined to be the best football player on the squad. He is fully cognizant of the responsibilities of a captain. Janke is entitled to full credit for his part in adding to the momentum of that football pendulum directed by Munn."
and was stationed in the Philippines.
After the war, Janke returned to coaching at St. John's High School in Jackson. He later took a job at Macklin Grinding Wheels. He would up his careers at Hancock Industries (later ITT Hancock Industries), where he became president and chairman of the board.
He served as the mayor of Jackson, Michigan
from 1976 to 1979. He died in January 2009 at age 91.
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, business executive and politician. He played football 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...
from 1936 to 1938 and was the captain of the 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1938 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler...
under first-year head coach 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...
. He later became the president and chairman of the board of Hancock Industries. He also served as the mayor his hometown, Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, in the 1970s.
Early years
Janke as born in Jackson, MichiganJackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
in 1917. He played football at Jackson High School, and was selected as an all-state tackle in 1933 and 1934.
University of Michigan
In 1935, Janke 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...
, where he studied geological engineering. He played at the 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....
position 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 1936 to 1938. At the start of the 1937 season, Michigan head coach Harry G. Kipke
Harry G. Kipke
Harry George Kipke was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929–1937, compiling a career record of 49–30–5...
moved Janke from the tackle position to fullback, but Janke returned to the tackle position by early October 1937. Despite injuries that resulted in his missing parts of the 1936, 1937, and 1938 seasons, Janke was chosen as the captain of the 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
1938 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1938 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1938 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler...
. He was captain of the first Michigan football team coached by 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...
. As Janke played through his injuries, Crisler called him "the ideal team leader." Writing for the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, former Michigan quarterback Tod Rockwell
Tod Rockwell
Ferdinand Almon "Tod" Rockwell was an American football player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan in 1923 and 1924. He helped the 1923 Michigan Wolverines football team win a National Championship...
credited Janke and Tom Harmon
Tom Harmon
Thomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
with creating a winning team under new line coach "Biggie" Munn. Rockwell wrote, "Janke belleves that no job on the team is as important as his. He is determined to be the best football player on the squad. He is fully cognizant of the responsibilities of a captain. Janke is entitled to full credit for his part in adding to the momentum of that football pendulum directed by Munn."
Later years
After graduating from Michigan in 1939, Janke taught at Jackson High School and served as an assistant coach there. He also coached football at St. John High School in Jackson. Janke enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War IIWorld 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...
and was stationed in the Philippines.
After the war, Janke returned to coaching at St. John's High School in Jackson. He later took a job at Macklin Grinding Wheels. He would up his careers at Hancock Industries (later ITT Hancock Industries), where he became president and chairman of the board.
He served as the mayor of Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
from 1976 to 1979. He died in January 2009 at age 91.