Former prominent University of Utah athletes/contributors Frank Christensen and David Freed have passed away.
Frank Langton Christensen, recognized as Utah’s Athlete of the Century, died Sept. 6, at the age of 91.
After receiving all-state honors at Granite High School in baseball, football and basketball, Christensen played fullback at the University of Utah. “Crashing Chris” was the U’s first three-time All-American. In 1930-31, he was named Third Team All-American, and in 1932, he earned First Team honors. During those years, the Utes owned a 21-3-1 record.
Christensen holds the school's all-time career-scoring mark with 235 points. He is second in individual points in a season, scoring 100 points in 1930. Christensen is credited with scoring 13 points in 13 seconds vs. Colorado College.
The fullback was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and was honored as a Silver Anniversary All-American in Sports Illustrated.
Christensen went on to the pros with the Detroit Lions (1934-37), where he was a member of the 1935 World Championship team.
Christensen was successful in the business field as well. Christensen helped revolutionize the mining and petroleum industry with a drill bit that utilized industrial diamonds. His company, Christensen Diamond Products Company, became the world’s largest producer of industrial diamond products.
Christensen later supported the American Cancer Society, the University of Utah and the American Red Cross.
Meanwhile, former U tennis captain David Lester Freed died Sept. 1 at age 92.
Freed captained the U tennis team in 1930-31 after winning the 1926 Utah Championships at East High. Following a victory of the Utah State Singles Title in 1938, Freed went on to a successful seniors campaign. At age 45, Freed earned the top ranking at the U.S. Senior Singles. From 1960-61, he captained the U.S. Davis Cup Team.
Freed was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Utah Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.
Freed saw more U games than any other living alum, and he was awarded the Fan of the Century Award. Freed won the Merit Honor Award in 1971, the Distinguished Alumnus in 1975 and was inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame in 1986.
He was the most active individual donor to the Eccles Tennis Center, and a tennis scholarship bears his and wife Blanche’s name. He has created five tennis clubs in Salt Lake City, founded the Youth Tennis Foundation and developed the first Little League tennis program in the U.S.
