University of Vermont Athletics

Francis "Frank" Taylor 1941 - Baseball, Basketball, Football, Track and Field

When was the last time The University of Vermont boasted of a "grand slam athlete?" No doubt it was in 1941 - the second consecutive year that Francis Marshall Taylor, a 1969 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, won varsity letters in four different sports.

The former Brattleboro resident personified versatility and superiority at the University from 1938 to 1941. Now only did he star in four sports, he captained three of them. During three years of football Frank Taylor amassed 82 points - a record still highly regarded today. He led the Catamount basketball squad his junior year, and won letters in track in 1940 and 1941. He also was baseball captain in 1941, and set the pace with power hitting.

If there had been time and awards enough, he probably would have won more varsity letters. He was a skiing specialist, won intramural bowling competitions, and was the University champion in the grueling hexathlon, which requires great skill in may individual performance events.

After graduation in 1941 and service with the Navy, he concentrated on engineering in Massachusetts, although rumors were prevalent that professional teams in all areas of sport were after his signature. He has not left athletics by any means, though. Besides serving as coach of several high school sports, Frank Taylor has played semi-professional baseball, basketball, and football.