John Francis FitzGerald (August 22, 1896[1] – July 23, 1961), sometimes referred to as France Fitzgerald, was an American football player and judge.
 Fitzgerald in 1921 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | August 22, 1896 Holyoke, Massachusetts | ||
| Died: | July 23, 1961 (aged 64) Detroit, Michigan | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Holyoke (MA) | ||
| College: | University of Detroit | ||
| Position: | Halfback | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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Born in Massachusetts, he attended Holyoke High School.[2] He played college football as a halfback, playing on both offense and defense, at the University of Detroit during the 1917, 1919, 1920, and 1921 seasons.[2][3][4]
His education was interrupted during World War I with service in the United States Army.[2][5] He played professional football as a halfback for the Toledo Maroons in the National Football League (NFL). He appeared in seven NFL games, six as a starter, during the 1923 season.[6]
He studied law at the University of Detroit, worked for a time as a probation officer, and served as a Wayne County Circuit Court Commissioner for several years.[5] He became active in politics and ran for the United States Senate in 1940, losing to incumbent Senator Arthur Vandenberg.[5] In 1943, he ran for Mayor of Detroit, receiving more votes in the primary than the incumbent Mayor Edward Jeffries, but then losing to Jeffries in the general election.[5]
He was elected as a judge of the Wayne County Circuit Court in 1947 and served in that capacity until his death in July 1961.[5][7]
References
edit- ^ Some records reflect the same date of birth but list the year of birth as 1897.
- ^ a b c "Francis Fitzgerald". Pro Football Archives. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "U. of D. Gridders Pick Fitzgerald To Pilot Eleven: Holyoke Boy Selected at Banquet Tendered Team by Alumni". Detroit Free Press. December 5, 1917. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Crack Half back With The U. of D. Squad In Its Hunt For Grid Laurels". Detroit Free Press. November 7, 1921. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Judge FitzGerald Dead at 62". Detroit Free Press. July 24, 1961. pp. 1, 2 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "France Fitzgerald". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ "Burial Services Held For Judge FitzGerald". Detroit Free Press. July 27, 1961. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.