Francis Fogarty (American football)
 Fogarty in 1963 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | November 18, 1918 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | August 17, 1969 (aged 50) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) |
| College: | Duquesne |
| Career history | |
| As an executive: | |
| Executive profile at PFR | |
Francis G. Fogarty (November 18, 1918 – August 17, 1969) was an American football executive who served as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1951 until his death prior to the 1969 season.
Early life[edit]
Fogarty was born on November 18, 1918, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] He was the son of John Fogarty, the long-time head groundskeeper for Forbes Field, and had six siblings.[2][3] He graduated from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh and later attended Duquesne University.[2] While at Duquesne, he played for the Duquesne Dukes ice hockey team.[4] He later played hockey for a team in Wilkinsburg in the late 1940s.[5]
Fogarty served in World War II as a lieutenant.[4] He took part in the Normandy landings on D-Day but was wounded in the leg and captured as a prisoner by the Nazis.[4] While being transported to a prisoner of war camp, Fogarty was able to escape and fought with the Free France resistance group before returning to his unit.[6][7]
Executive career[edit]
Fogarty began his affiliation with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1946 after the war.[2] He began as an auditor and bookkeeper with the team and also worked for the boxing club owned by Steelers founder Art Rooney and his friend.[8][9] By early 1951, he had been promoted to assistant treasurer.[10] The Steelers general manager John Holahan resigned in June 1951 and Fogarty, aged 32, became one of his replacements; initially manager tasks were divided between him, Ed Kiely (publicity director) and Joe Carr (ticket manager), with Ray Byrne also assisting in training camp.[11][12] Fogarty was in charge of player affairs and contracts.[13] The Steelers compiled a record of 4–7–1 in Fogarty's first year in the position.[14]
By 1953, Fogarty had become official general manager of the team.[15] He ultimately served 18 years as the general manager of the Steelers and became known as "Art Rooney's right hand man" – the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that "he knew more about the inner workings of the local football team than anyone around."[14][16] Under his leadership, the Steelers had an overall record of 93–129–10, which included six seasons at .500 or better, and a best mark of 9–5 in 1962 for a second-place finish in their division.[14]
Outside of the Steelers, Fogarty also was known for his efforts to promote handball and hockey in the area; he served as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Knights, an all-star team in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Hockey Association.[6][17]
Personal life and death[edit]
Fogarty was married and had three children.[6] He was a member of the American Legion, Loyal Order of Moose, North Side Elks and Pittsburgh Athletic Association.[6]
On August 16, 1969, Fogarty attended the wedding ceremony of his daughter and went home after midnight complaining of chest pains.[2] He suffered a heart attack shortly after and died at the Pittsburgh Hospital early on August 17, aged 50.[2] Al Abrams of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette commented that "all of us lost a good friend and a fine gentleman ... Of all the people I have met in sports locally, there wasn't a nicer man than Fran Fogarty. Never did I hear him say an unkind word about anybody. His friendly grin and greetings will be missed as much as his ability to handle the bookkeeping duties."[16]
References[edit]
- ^ Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1970 (subscription required). Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Francis Fogarty, 50, Steelers Executive". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 18, 1969. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Head Groundskeeper's Passing Mourned by Pirate Baseball Fans". The Daily Notes. United Press. November 25, 1955. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Doyle, Charles J. (February 13, 1945). "Jack Fogarty's Son Escapes Nazis, Home". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hughes, Carl (March 7, 1949). "Sports Stew Served Hot". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Services Set For Steeler Fiscal Head". The Pittsburgh Press. August 18, 1969. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rooney Jr., Art; McHugh, Roy (2008). "Fran Fogarty". Ruanaidh – The Story of Art Rooney and His Clan. Ruanaidh-Story of Art Rooney. pp. 230–232. ISBN 9780981476025.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Hughes, Carl (December 23, 1948). "Sports Stew–Served Hot". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bell and Fogarty Pass Out Cigars". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 7, 1950. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Steelers' Holohan Resigns". The Daily Courier. June 14, 1951. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Holahan Quits Pro Grid Job With Steelers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 12, 1951. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Livingston, Pat (June 17, 1951). "2 New Linemen Sign with Steelers". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Livingston, Pat (July 15, 1951). "Samuel, Knee O.K., to Rejoin Steelers". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 36 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Francis Fogarty Football Executive Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Guest, Ray (July 17, 1953). "Dinner Promotes Redskin-Steeler Game In SC". The Item. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Abrams, Al (August 18, 1969). "Sidelights on Sports". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Knights Name Fran Fogarty". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. November 7, 1963. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
