Edward Francis "Frank" Millard
Self-taught, North Adams native Frank Millard won a silver medal in wrestling at the 1936 Berlin, Germany Olympics.
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Edward Francis “Frank” Millard was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, on May 31, 1914. Millard attended the Archer School before beginning at 14 to work as a sweeper at the Greylock Mill. Trained as a wrestler from a young age and at the age of 16 he was old enough to enter state competition and began wrestling in the 125-pound class, winning first place for the local YMCA team. He also won competitions in the 135-pound and 145-pound weight classes. Winning the New England title in his weight class seven times and taking the national YMCA crown in 1934-1936, Millard became the National Amateur Athletic Union of America (AAU) 135 pound champion in 1936 and 1938. The North Adams Chamber of Commerce, fraternal and civic organizations raised funds for Millard to travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for the Olympic Trials. Qualifying for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he earned a silver medal in the freestyle (also known as catch-as-catch-can) contests. There was controversy over this result, as some people claimed that the judge had wrongfully taken points away from Millard rather than his opponent. Millard refused to contest the result and claimed to not have any ill-feeling towards the judges. In 1938, he won the World Championship and the wrestling committee of the AAU rated Millard as the outstanding amateur wrestler in the country and one of the two greatest wrestlers the United States had ever produced. He joined the North Adams Street Department labor crew in January 1939 and later worked for the city Water Department. During World Ward II, Millard served overseas as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was active in the Pacific theater. He also held the position of wrestling coach at Cherry Point Marin Corps Air Station, training his fellow marines. Millard passed away suddenly on July 15, 1958, at the age of 44. He was doing his daily workout at the North Adams YMCA when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005.
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Frank Millard.
Millard posing in his wrestling uniform. | Source: https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/1290
Post match photo.
"Francis Millard, left, North Adams, Mass., is receiving congratulations from Vernon Sisney, Ponca City, Okla., for his in the 134-pound class of the Olympic wrestling finals at Bethlehem, Pa." | Source: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc596550/
Frank Millard.
He worked for several years in the local mills and for the North Adams Public Works department. | Source: Courtesy of the North Adams Historical Society.
Millard elected to the Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Millard in a group photo. | Source: Courtesy of the North Adams Historical Society.