This article is one in a series of features produced in partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, exploring the history of the SWAC from its founding in 1920 to the present day. The series will run in April and May.
The SWAC has had several leaders in the conference’s long and storied history who have made positive changes, and one of its most transformational leaders was already a game-changer before he got the commissioner’s job.
A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Dr. James Frank had long been an administrator of note in college athletics when the SWAC named him commissioner in 1983.
A standout athlete at Lincoln (Mo.) University, Frank worked as a basketball coach and professor at his alma mater before taking on larger roles in the New York amateur athletic system in the 60s. He was also the first dean of students of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn before Lincoln came calling again.
This time, Dr. Frank was to serve as president of Lincoln, which he did for eight years.
A Trailblazing Promotion
Then in 1981, the biggest assignment of his career to date came calling.
The NCAA named Dr. Frank, previously the organization’s secretary-treasurer, its new president, making him the first (and to date, only) Black president of college sports’ major governing body.
Even in the early 80s, the question of having a Black man running organizations was always asked, but Frank maintained he didn’t have very many problems in his two years on the job.
“Well, it meant I had reached a certain level of acceptance from my colleagues,” Frank said of his nomination to the presidency. “It showed the NCAA was willing to accept a person with the ability, and the color of his skin did not matter. I can’t vouch that it made everybody happy, but I never once received any indication that I was not welcomed.”
In his two-year stint as president of the NCAA, Dr. Frank oversaw women’s sports and championships, becoming NCAA-sanctioned events, and helped create the Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee, as well as the controversial Proposition 48 initiative that set eligibility guidelines for incoming freshman student-athletes.
“Title IX made it clear that you should make provisions for women in your organization,” Dr. Frank told The Beaver County (PA) Times in 2016. “That was a no-brainer, so to speak, for me. I pushed for women to be included in the NCAA. They had their own championships, and they were a bit hesitant about coming into the NCAA because they felt all the provisions should be taken by men.
“Of course, schools had to open up their pocketbooks and start spending money on women’s sports. I certainly thought it was the right thing to do, and that made it much easier.”
The SWAC calls on James Frank
As Dr. Frank was reshaping the national college sports policy landscape, the SWAC was looking for a new leader to take the conference to the next level.
Even as the strong tradition of schools such as Grambling, Southern, Alcorn State, and Jackson State had long been the SWAC’s calling card, the changing landscape of college athletics in the 80s required more.
With that in mind, Dr. Frank became commissioner in 1983 and set about laying the groundwork for the SWAC to become a notable NCAA institution. He increased corporate sponsorships, championed SWAC coaches and administrators for NCAA committee spots, and recruited Arkansas-Pine Bluff to return, as well as adding Alabama A&M as a new member.
Dr. Frank stepped aside as commissioner in 1998, then returned for an interim stint in 2000 as the conference underwent organizational changes.
A life and career well lived
Frank reflected on his life and times with the satisfaction of knowing he helped change not just the SWAC’s fortunes, but those of college athletics as a whole.
“It meant a great deal to me,” he said. “Simply, because I was able to work with people who were willing to bring about the change. I was one of the people who was in a position to persuade, to talk, to do whatever was necessary to bring about the change.”
The changes James Frank made led to several honors. He is enshrined in the National Black College Hall of Fame, the Lincoln University Hall of Fame, and earned two major awards: the James Corbett Award in 1998 for devotion to college athletics and the Gerald R. Ford Award in 2007, honoring his advocacy of college athletics.
The SWAC has also honored Frank by naming their headquarters after Dr. Frank, as well as the James Frank Cup, awarded to the SWAC school with the most success during the athletic/academic year.
James Frank passed away Jan. 26, 2019, at the age of 88. A life well lived, he was remembered fondly by those who came after him in leadership roles.
“Throughout his memorable career, Dr. Frank spearheaded positive and impactful change, championing diversity and inclusion in college sports,” then-NCAA president Dr. Mark Emmert said. “He holds a special place in NCAA history, serving as both the first African-American and the first college president to hold the positions of secretary-treasurer and membership president.”
“Dr. Frank’s impact and legacy with the NCAA and the Southwestern Athletic Conference is truly remarkable. He was a true pioneer in the field of collegiate athletics, and his vision and legacy continue to positively impact countless student-athletes both past and present,” SWAC commissioner Charles McClelland said. “The Southwestern Athletic Conference will forever be indebted to Dr. Frank and his contributions to the SWAC.”
