Frank Kelker
| Western Reserve Red Cats | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Career history | |
| College | Western Reserve (1935–1937) |
| High school | Dover (OH) (1930–1933) |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth | December 9, 1913 |
| Place of birth | Woodville, Florida, U.S. |
| Date of death | May 23, 2003 (aged 89) |
| Place of death | Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Frank L. "Doc" Kelker (December 9, 1913 – May 23, 2003) was an All-American football end who played college football for Western Reserve, now known as Case Western Reserve University, from 1935–1937. Spanning high school and college, he played in 54-consecutive football games without a loss. As an African American, his athletic career ended after college as no professional sports had yet broken the color barrier.
Kelker was born in Woodville, Florida in 1913. He and his family moved north to Dover, OH when he was a child.
Doc attended Dover High School in Dover, OH where he was described as "Mr. Everything," earning 14 varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He was All-Ohio twice in football and once in basketball. The Dover Tornadoes football team posted a combined 30-1 record the three seasons he played (1931-1933), including two wins over the Massillon Tigers, famously coached by Paul Brown. He was voted captain his senior year.
As a senior on the basketball team, he played an integral role in the team winning the 1933 Ohio basketball state championship. Doc was the first Ohio high school athlete to be named All-Ohio in both football and basketball in the same calendar year.
As a member of the baseball squad in 1932 and 1933, Kelker's unofficial stats included a .521 batting average with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs and 22 stolen bases. The team posted a combined record of 23-4, including a victory over state champion Warren.
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