An exceptional football and basketball player at Cortland in the mid-1950's, Frank M. Dawson, Jr. ’57 devoted his entire professional career to guiding young athletes in Garfield, N.J., where he has been a legendary coach and athletic director since 1960.
A native of Pearl River, N.Y., Dawson graduated from Pearl River High School. Dawson earned three letters as a two-way offensive and defensive tackle for Coach Carl “Chugger” Davis at Cortland from 1954-56. As a punter, he was tied for fifth nationally with Penn State’s Milt Plum with his 41.8 yards-per-punt average. Dawson was invited to the Baltimore Colts camp in 1957 and 1958.
On the basketball court, Dawson also won a trio of letters competing on some of Coach Whitney T. “Pete” Corey’s ‘43 greatest squads. He was named the Red Letter Award winner on the 1956-57 team that went 18-3 and won the first championship of the newly formed State University of New York Athletic Conference.
He was also the baseball team manager in 1957, a member of the Men’s Glee Club, president of Gamma Tau Sigma fraternity, and listed in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
Dawson earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Cortland and, in 1965, a master’s degree in health and physical education from New York University. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
In 1960, Dawson joined the Garfield (N.J.) High School faculty. He coached basketball (1960-63) and football (1963-72), including two conference championships and the 1965 New Jersey Group 4 state title. His squads had the finest records in Bergen County throughout the 1960's.
Dawson is the director of health, physical education and athletics at Garfield High, where he has directed the Garfield Holiday Basketball and Wrestling Tournaments for 35 years and 30 years, respectively. He also guided the State District Wrestling Tournament from 1968-78. In 1979, he founded the Garfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame and has chaired the program since its inception.
Within his community, Dawson has coordinated the City of Garfield Annual Elks Hoop Shot Contest since 1975. He directed the city’s elementary track championships for a decade, established free fast-pitch softball instruction and organized a city ladies’ fast-pitch squad in 2000 and most recently, coordinated a summer softball program for the recreation department.
He is the past president of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League and the Bergen County Scholastic League. He was named “Man of the Year” by the Bergen County Baseball Umpire Association in 1991 and the Garfield Elks in 2004, and was named “Citizen of the Year” in 2002 by the Garfield Boys’ & Girls’ Club.
Dawson has been inducted in the Hall of Fames at Pearl River High School, Garfield High School and the Rockland County (N.Y.) Sports Hall of Fame.
He and his wife, Michele, have six children: Deron, 46; Kerry, 44; Kimberly, 41; Frank III, 35; Heidi, 33; and Joelle, 29.
UPDATE: Dawson passed away on March 20, 2011 at age 75.
