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The University of Toledo Archives
Manuscript Collection

 

Finding Aid

Frank Kralik Papers

UM-116

Size: 6 linear feet


Provenance: received from the Department of Athletics

Access: Open

Related Collections:  

Processing Note:

Condition: Good

Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns.  Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code.  The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.

Completed by: Eric Nachtman; updated and revised by Sara Mouch, November 2015

Biographical Sketch

Frank Kralik, who lived in Toledo for most of his life, was an important University of Toledo sports historian and local area high school football coach for more than 30 years.  He was considered to be the best UT Athletics historian of all time as he spent countless hours researching and archiving old newspapers and back issues in order to help the athletic department establish official records, mainly for the football and basketball programs.  Born in 1930 from a poor family in Pennsylvania, he and his family moved to Toledo when Frank was a child, and has lived in the city since.  He attended Rossford High School where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball.  His accomplishments earned him a place in his alma mater’s hall of fame in 1991.  Frank would earn a scholarship to The University of Toledo in 1949 where he would receive three varsity letters as a member of the football team.  At UT (then called TU), Frank earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1952.  Immediately following college, Frank was drafted into the Army, where he worked as a trainer for the Fort Lee football team in Virginia.  He returned to Toledo in 1955 and began his teaching career at DeVeaux Elementary, teaching English for a year and later transferring to Sherman Elementary.  Shortly thereof, Frank began teaching social studies at Libbey High School. This was where he began his football coaching career.  He would leave Libbey for DeVilibiss High in 1959 before ending up at Start High School in 1962.  This was where he would remain their head football coach until 1994.  His coaching success at Start earned the name “Frank Kralik Stadium” for the school’s football field.  Kralik is known for writing “Beat BG” on almost everything he wrote.  He also brought back the “Peace Pipe” to the UT-BG rivalry, after it was stolen in 1969.  In 2001, Kralik was inducted into the Varsity ‘T’ Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a UT football player and historian.  Frank passed away on October 17th, 1998 in his West Toledo home, after being diagnosed with cancer in the spring of that year, his wife Jane mentioned.  He was 68.  Today, his records are being preserved here at the Ward M. Canaday Center for people to explore.

Sources: 1.) utrockets.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020201aaa.html
2.) www.tps.org/index.cfm?Article=866&SecName=33
3.) toledoblade.com   

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains sports memorabilia collected by Frank Kralik with the dates ranging from 1917 to 1998.  The records include old newspaper articles, sports programs, photographs, team photos, cassette tapes, and film reels.  This collection concerns The University of Toledo sports in general with the majority of it featuring the football and basketball programs.  The sports mentioned in the folder list are based on University of Toledo athletics unless noted otherwise.

 


 

Folder List

Box

Folder

Arrangement

 

9
9
10
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
10
10
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
10
10
2
2
2
2
2
2
10
2
10
2
10
10

10
2
2
2
10
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
7
8

 

 

 

 

1
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
2
3
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
4
5
3
4
5
6
7
8
6
9
7
10
8
9

10
11
12
13
11
14
15
16
17-18
19-21
22-23
1-4
5-8
9-12
13-14
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

 

Artwork and programs
Articles and clippings
Articles and clippings, 1940-1996
Baseball Miscellaneous, 1981-92
Baseball Photographs, 1921-1972
Basketball-Miscellaneous, 1922-92
Basketball Photographs, 1930’s and back
Basketball Photographs, 1940’s & 50’s
Basketball Photographs, 1960’s
Basketball Photographs, 1970’s-1980’s
Basketball Programs, 1942-87
Basketball- Scorebooks, 1973-76
Dave Connelly-Athletic Director of U.T., 1926-1955
Dayton vs. U.T.-16 mm Film- Reel 1, Feb. 14th, 1979
Devillbiss High School Football vs. Libbey- 16 mm, 1958
Devillbiss High School Football vs. Libbey- 16 mm, 1959
Devillbiss High School Football vs. Scott- 16 mm, 1961
Devillbiss High School Football- 8 mm, 1961
Devillbiss High School Football- 16 mm, undated
Diagrams of games, 1949
Downtown Coaches programs, 1938-1950
E. Kentucky- 16 mm Film- Reel 2, 1952
Field House Dedication Programs & Photographs, 1931-32, 1945,46, 97
First Glass Bowl Game- U.T. vs. Bates- 16 mm Film-Reel 2, Dec. 7, 1946
First Glass Bowl Game- U.T. vs. Bates- 16 mm Film-Reel 4, Dec. 7, 1946
Football Miscellaneous, 1917-1997
Football Photographs, 1930’s and back
Football Photographs, 1940’s
Football Photographs, 1950’s
Football Photographs, 1960’s
Football Photographs, 1970’s
Football Photographs, 1980’s- 90’s
Football Programs- 1930-1983
Football Spring Scrimmage-16 mm Film-Reel 1, May 13, 1950
Football- Unidentified or Undated Photos
Glass Bowl- Stadium & Related Photographs, 1946-1989
Golf, 1970’s
Important Places and Letters, 1917-1950’s
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous programs, 1921, 1934,  1978, 1983-1987, 1997
N. Dakota-16 mm Film-Reel 3 of ?, 1946
Ohio Univ.-16 mm Film-Reel 1 of 2, 1952
Ohio Univ.-16 mm Film-Reel 2 of 2, 1952
Okla. City- 16 mm Film- Reel 3, 1949
Old Basketball Newspaper Articles, 1941-76
Old Football Newspaper Articles, 1933-63
Photographs (mainly photocopies), 1936-1997
Photographs of Important People, 1921-1971
Rocket histories and highlights
Soccer, N.D.
Souvenir and official programs, 1935-1949
Souvenir and official programs, 1950, 1959-1960, 1966, 1974, 1985-1986,
1996     
Souvenir and official programs, 1962
Start High School Football Reels- 8 mm, 1963
Start vs. Whitmer Football Tape- Frank’s last taped video, 9/4/1998
Swimming, N.D.
Statistics and scores, 1950, 1973-1975, 1985
Tennis- Men’s and Women’s, 1970’s, 80’s
Track & Field Photographs, 1948-1968
Toledo vs. Butler-16 mm Film-Reel 2, January 30th, 1979
Toledo Basketball Tapes, 1940’s-1950’s
Toledo Basketball Tapes, 1960’s
Toledo Basketball Tapes, 1970’s
Toledo Basketball Tapes, 1970’s
Toledo Basketball Tapes, 1980’s
Toledo Football Tapes, 1980’s-1990’s
Toledo Mixed Sports Tapes, 1980’s-1990’s
Toledo Mixed Sports Tapes, 1980’s-1990’s
T.U. vs. Bowling Green-16 mm Film-Reel 3, 1950
T.U. vs. Western Reserve-16 mm Film-Reel 1 of 3, 1950
T.U. vs. Western Reserve-16 mm Film-Reel 2 of 3, 1950
T.U. vs. Western Reserve-16 mm Film-Reel 3 of 3, 1950
Unidentifiable people, N.D.
U.T. vs. Ball State-16 mm Film-Reel 1, January 3rd, 1976
U.T. vs. Kent- 16 mm Film-Reel 4, January 6th, 1978
Varsity T Banquet and Photos, May 6, 1974 & June 1974
Varsity T Induction Program, 1998.
Volleyball-Men’s and Women’s, N.D.
Wrestling- Miscellaneous, 1962-1991
Wrestling Photographs, 1950’s-1970’a
U.T. Football Scrapbook, 1946
U.T. Football Scrapbook, 1947
U.T. Football Scrapbook, 1948

 

 

 

Last Updated: 6/27/22