Lyman Frimodig
Encyclopedia
Lyman L. "Frim" Frimodig (October 9, 1891 – May 1972) was an American athlete, college basketball
coach and athletic administrator. He was the only athlete in the history of Michigan State University
to receive ten varsity letter
s, four each in basketball
and baseball
and two in football
. He held the school's single-game scoring record in basketball for 35 years. He was the head coach of the school's basketball team from 1920 to 1922 and subsequently served the school until 1960 as a professor of health and physical education, assistant athletic director, ticket sales manager, and athletic department business manager. He also served four years as the mayor of East Lansing, Michigan
, from 1933 to 1937.
in Michigan
's Upper Peninsula, Frimodig was an all-around athlete at Calumet High School. He grew up a block away from, and was boyhood friends with, George Gipp
, who went on to fame playing football for Knute Rockne
at Notre Dame
. He played high school football on the same team with both Gipp and College Football Hall of Fame
inductee, Hunk Anderson. In 1934, Frimodig and another classmate, William Lavers, established and donated the George Gipp All-American Trophy, presented annually to the outstanding athlete at Calumet High School.
, where he played basketball, baseball and football from 1914 to 1917. He is the first and only athlete in Michigan State history to have received ten varsity letter
s (four each in basketball and baseball and two in football). He was the captain of the Aggies' basketball team for the 1915-16 season, and he held the school's single-game scoring record (30 points) for 35 years. Frimodig set the scoring record in a 56–20 win over Hope College
in January 1915. After the game, the student newspaper reported on Frimodig's performance as follows:
Frimodig led the Aggies with 126 points in the 1914–15 basketball season. In the Spartan Sports Encyclopedia, Jack Seibold noted:
, as Frimodig served in the military.
.
Frimodig also helped organize and manage Michigan's first state high school basketball tournaments, as well as state high school swimming and track meets held on the Michigan State campus. Charles E. Forsythe, the state high school athletic director who worked with Frimodig in organizing the state's first high school basketball tournament, recalled, "We actually had to give tickets away to get it going."
Frimodig retired from Michigan State on July 1, 1960. In May 1960, he was honored with a "Friends of Frim" banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. An Associated Press
story on the banquet noted: "The turnout of nearly 500 friends for the Frimodig testimonial proved again that sports people are hard to match when it comes to loyalty and sentiment. Tangible proof was presentation
of a check for $3,000 to the guest of honor."
Frimodig continued to hold the title of professor emeritus until his death in 1972.
in 1976, and the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1992.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and athletic administrator. He was the only athlete in the history of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
to receive ten varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s, four each in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and two in 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...
. He held the school's single-game scoring record in basketball for 35 years. He was the head coach of the school's basketball team from 1920 to 1922 and subsequently served the school until 1960 as a professor of health and physical education, assistant athletic director, ticket sales manager, and athletic department business manager. He also served four years as the mayor of East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
, from 1933 to 1937.
Early years in Calumet
A native of LauriumLaurium, Michigan
Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 2,126 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's Upper Peninsula, Frimodig was an all-around athlete at Calumet High School. He grew up a block away from, and was boyhood friends with, George Gipp
George Gipp
George "The Gipper" Gipp was a college football player who played for the University of Notre Dame. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first All-American and is Notre Dame's second consensus All-American , after Gus Dorais. Gipp played multiple positions, most notably halfback, quarterback, and...
, who went on to fame playing football for Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. He played high school football on the same team with both Gipp and 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...
inductee, Hunk Anderson. In 1934, Frimodig and another classmate, William Lavers, established and donated the George Gipp All-American Trophy, presented annually to the outstanding athlete at Calumet High School.
Athlete at Michigan Agricultural College
Frimodig subsequently attended Michigan Agricultural College, now known as Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, where he played basketball, baseball and football from 1914 to 1917. He is the first and only athlete in Michigan State history to have received ten varsity letter
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
s (four each in basketball and baseball and two in football). He was the captain of the Aggies' basketball team for the 1915-16 season, and he held the school's single-game scoring record (30 points) for 35 years. Frimodig set the scoring record in a 56–20 win over Hope College
Hope College
Hope College is a medium-sized , private, residential liberal arts college located in downtown Holland, Michigan, a few miles from Lake Michigan. It was opened in 1851 as the Pioneer School by Dutch immigrants four years after the community was first settled...
in January 1915. After the game, the student newspaper reported on Frimodig's performance as follows:
"He easily upheld the reputation gained last year of being the best center seen here in some time, as his efforts scored more than half of his team's points, no less than fifteen baskets being credited to him. He shot from every conceivable angle, and with a certainty which brought the crowd to their feet again and again."
Frimodig led the Aggies with 126 points in the 1914–15 basketball season. In the Spartan Sports Encyclopedia, Jack Seibold noted:
"No Aggie-Spartan athlete has ever equaled or bettered Lyman Frimodig's exploit of having earned a total of 10 varsity awards during his MAC career ... By that measure alone, through the years many have considered 'Frim' the greatest to have ever worn the Green and White."
Escanaba and military service
After graduating from the college in 1917, Frimodig returned to the Upper Peninsula where he coached and was principal at Escanaba High School. His work there was interrupted by the United States' entry into World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as Frimodig served in the military.
Coach and administrator at Michigan State
After being discharged from the military in 1919, Frimodig was hired as the freshman football coach at Michigan Agricultural College. He was the school's head basketball coach for two seasons (1920–1922), compiling a 24–20 record. He remained employed by the school for 41 years as a professor of health and physical education, assistant athletic director, ticket sales manager, and athletic department business manager. He also served four years from 1933 to 1937 as the mayor of East LansingEast Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
.
Frimodig also helped organize and manage Michigan's first state high school basketball tournaments, as well as state high school swimming and track meets held on the Michigan State campus. Charles E. Forsythe, the state high school athletic director who worked with Frimodig in organizing the state's first high school basketball tournament, recalled, "We actually had to give tickets away to get it going."
Frimodig retired from Michigan State on July 1, 1960. In May 1960, he was honored with a "Friends of Frim" banquet at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. An 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...
story on the banquet noted: "The turnout of nearly 500 friends for the Frimodig testimonial proved again that sports people are hard to match when it comes to loyalty and sentiment. Tangible proof was presentation
of a check for $3,000 to the guest of honor."
Later years and death
After retiring from Michigan State, Frimodig remained in East Lansing and continued his lifelong affiliation with Michigan State athletics. In 1971, he co-authored "Spartan Saga: A History of Michigan State Athletics." Proceeds from the book were donated to the Ralph H. Young Scholarship Fund to extend financial aid to athletes.Frimodig continued to hold the title of professor emeritus until his death in 1972.
Posthumous honors
Frimodig was posthumously inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in March 1973; the award was accepted by Frimodig's newphew, David M. Frimodig. He was also inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of FameMichigan Sports Hall of Fame
The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...
in 1976, and the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1992.
External links
- Lyman Frimodig as College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com