Honoring Frank "Kinney" Holbrook
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As a former resident of Tipton, Iowa and 1995 graduate of Tipton I'm ashamed I didn't know the story of Frank "Kinney" Holbrook until now. However, I'm glad I do know it now and I think given the timing and circumstances of when Holbrook was alive it was a testament to his character and resilience and I would like to give Holbrook the honor he is due by erecting a statue of Holbrook in Tipton as he was one of the first in the world of athletics to break down the color barrier in our state.
Holbrook is a member of the Cedar County Sports Wall of Fame, but with that said I still believe he is still deserving of this honor of having a statue which recognizes his achievements and also helps educate present & future members of the Tipton community .
Here is a brief synopsis of the life of Frank "Kinney" Holbrook below:
The son of a former slave in the south Frank "Kinney" Holbrook would go on to be a standout football & track athlete for Tipton High School. Holbrook led the school to just the third ever Iowa High School State Track Meet. Holbrook helped guide Tipton High to a second-place finish at the state meet, winning the individual state championship in the 50-yard dash and the shot put events.
Holbrook would be Tipton High School's first black graduate in school history. He would later enroll at the University of Iowa with the encouragement of members of the community. In the fall of 1895 Holbrook enrolled at the University of Iowa and competed for the Hawkeye football team where he was the FIRST black player to compete in any sport for the University of Iowa as well as the first documented black player for any college in the state of Iowa.
You can read about Holbrook's experiences at the University of Iowa where he was integral in the team's success in the 1896 season with the link provided below.
Later in life Holbrook came back to Tipton and resided where he worked as the town's blacksmith. However, in 1899 Holbrook was hired as the football coach of his ala mater at Tipton and was noted by the Tipton Advertiser, “Much of the credit of the victory belongs to Frank Holbrook, under whose skillful coaching the home players have rapidly improved in their game during the past two weeks.”
Holbrook would later move to California and continue to work as a blacksmith, his passed away abruptly at the age of 39 from a heart attack.
http://nealrozendaal.com/hawkeyes-revisited/frank-kinney-holbrook/
Holbrook is a member of the Cedar County Sports Wall of Fame, but with that said I still believe he is still deserving of this honor of having a statue which recognizes his achievements and also helps educate present & future members of the Tipton community .
Here is a brief synopsis of the life of Frank "Kinney" Holbrook below:
The son of a former slave in the south Frank "Kinney" Holbrook would go on to be a standout football & track athlete for Tipton High School. Holbrook led the school to just the third ever Iowa High School State Track Meet. Holbrook helped guide Tipton High to a second-place finish at the state meet, winning the individual state championship in the 50-yard dash and the shot put events.
Holbrook would be Tipton High School's first black graduate in school history. He would later enroll at the University of Iowa with the encouragement of members of the community. In the fall of 1895 Holbrook enrolled at the University of Iowa and competed for the Hawkeye football team where he was the FIRST black player to compete in any sport for the University of Iowa as well as the first documented black player for any college in the state of Iowa.
You can read about Holbrook's experiences at the University of Iowa where he was integral in the team's success in the 1896 season with the link provided below.
Later in life Holbrook came back to Tipton and resided where he worked as the town's blacksmith. However, in 1899 Holbrook was hired as the football coach of his ala mater at Tipton and was noted by the Tipton Advertiser, “Much of the credit of the victory belongs to Frank Holbrook, under whose skillful coaching the home players have rapidly improved in their game during the past two weeks.”
Holbrook would later move to California and continue to work as a blacksmith, his passed away abruptly at the age of 39 from a heart attack.
http://nealrozendaal.com/hawkeyes-revisited/frank-kinney-holbrook/
Organizer
Duane Matthess
Organizer
Tipton, IA
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