Hampden-Sydney College

Gus Franke taught mathematics and computer science at Hampden-Sydney College and also coached the Tiger golf team from 1965 to 1981. He led the team to its first-ever NCAA Golf Tournament appearance in 1973. Two years later, Franke's squad finished as runner-up in the 1975 NCAA Division III Golf Championships. The 1975 appearance marked the third of four straight appearances by Franke's Hampden-Sydney teams in the NCAA Tournament. Overall, he led the Tigers to five NCAA Tournament appearances and coached three All-Americans, including Charles Baskervill, the 1975 NCAA National Champion and Hampden-Sydney's only individual national champ. The 1975 Franke-led squad finished the season with a 16-4-1 overall record and won the Mason-Dixon Conference Championship, captured the Virginia Division II-III championship, and finished second only to Wooster (OH) for the NCAA crown. Franke also earned special recognition by the NCAA in 1988 for his contributions to Division III golf.

Franke passed away in spring of 2002.