Frank Birch (basketball)
Frank Earl Birch (November 11, 1883 – March 18, 1948) was a college football and basketball referee[1] who first introduced signals.[2][3] In 1920, he passed out cards to coaches and the press with a code of twelve gestures.[4][5] He was a graduate of Earlham College.[6] He married Margaret Johnson.[7] He was also once mayor of Sterling, Illinois.[8]
References
- ^ Sperber, Murray A. (21 June 1993). "Shake Down the Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football". Indiana University Press – via Google Books.
- ^ "What's That Referee up to? (October 3, 1954)".
- ^ "De Palma Again Shatters Los Angeles Track Mark (March 21, 1920)".
- ^ "ESPNMAG.com - Why does arms up signal a TD?". www.espn.com.
- ^ Seton, Ernest Thompson; Scott, Hugh Lenox; Powers, Lillian Delger (21 June 2017). "Sign Talk: A Universal Signal Code, Without Apparatus, for Use in the Army, the Navy, Camping, Hunting, and Daily Life". Doubleday, Page & Company – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Michigan Alumnus". UM Libraries. 21 June 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Frank Birch, Grid Official, Marries Minnesota Girl". Chicago Tribune. July 3, 1918.
- ^ http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/IL/ofc/sterling.html