EDWARD R. FRAWLEY, LTJG, USN

Edward Frawley '22

Date of birth: April 24, 1900

Date of death: October 28, 1927

Age: 27

Lucky Bag

From the 1922 Lucky Bag:

EDWARD RICHARD FRAWLEY

Fulton, New York

"Thug," "Frog," "F. S.," "W. P."

FRAWLEY burst into the Academy from that little-known country—Up-State New York. Plebe Year had not advanced far, though, before he had acquired his widely recognized nickname, "Thug." Not that he was pugilistically inclined—not especially—but because of his general appearance, for he's always had the idea that all that was necessary was to look hard at a person and resistance would fade away. This same gentle look, aided and abetted by athletic ability, doomed him to snakehood whether he would or no. Content with his lot, however, he falls often; but, before the week has passed, he's once more acquired his precious liberty.

"Thug" is a man of vast experience, who is always willing to give it to the less fortunate; for he went to the Olympics where he had his first experience seeing Europe. If "Thug's" line is to be trusted (and he rarely deviates very widely in telling his tales) Europe must be one happy hunting ground.

Crew (4, 3, 2, 1); NA Three-Crossed Oars; N Two-Crossed Oars; Olympic Squad; Football Squad (3, 2, 1); N* (1); Boxing Squad (2).

EDWARD RICHARD FRAWLEY

Fulton, New York

"Thug," "Frog," "F. S.," "W. P."

FRAWLEY burst into the Academy from that little-known country—Up-State New York. Plebe Year had not advanced far, though, before he had acquired his widely recognized nickname, "Thug." Not that he was pugilistically inclined—not especially—but because of his general appearance, for he's always had the idea that all that was necessary was to look hard at a person and resistance would fade away. This same gentle look, aided and abetted by athletic ability, doomed him to snakehood whether he would or no. Content with his lot, however, he falls often; but, before the week has passed, he's once more acquired his precious liberty.

"Thug" is a man of vast experience, who is always willing to give it to the less fortunate; for he went to the Olympics where he had his first experience seeing Europe. If "Thug's" line is to be trusted (and he rarely deviates very widely in telling his tales) Europe must be one happy hunting ground.

Crew (4, 3, 2, 1); NA Three-Crossed Oars; N Two-Crossed Oars; Olympic Squad; Football Squad (3, 2, 1); N* (1); Boxing Squad (2).

Loss

Edward was lost on October 28, 1927 when his aircraft collided with another and then crashed near Pensacola, Florida.

Other Information

From Find A Grave:

E.R. FRAWLEY KILLED IN PLANE CRASH
Collision of Two Scout Planes at Pensacola, Florida, Last Friday Killed Lieut. Edward R. Frawley of Fulton, and CSeof. W.J. McCord of St. Louis - Body of Frawley Brought to Home of Parents In Fulton — Notable Career of Frawley.
Fultonians were, stunned last Friday night, when the news reached this city of the tragic death of Lieutenant Edward R. Frawley of this city, at the Naval Air Training station at Pensacola, Florida, on Friday afternoon, and unstinted sympathy is extended to the parents and other relatives. The details of the accident were in substance that the two scout planes were flying in formation some 5,000 feet in the air, when they crashed together and fell to the ground, landing on some buildings. The two bodies were removed from the wreckage and an investigation was at once started.
Edward R. Frawley, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Frawley, was born in Fulton April 24th, 1900. He attended the Fulton public schools and graduated in the Class of 1916.
Through the efforts of the late Myron S. Stranahan of this city and Congressman Luther W. Mott of Oswego he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, on the strength of his high standing, in the examination of applicants. The wonderful progress he made in his studies at the naval academy was apparent to the faculty and he made rapid progress. He soon became guard on the football team and later stroke of the naval crew he was a member of the winning crew in the varsity race on the Hudson at Poughkeepsie and later stroke of the U.S. Olympic crew that won the world championship at Antwerp, Belgium. He returned to his home in this city following the Belgium victory, and accorded a home-coming ovation, followed by a banquet at the Recreation Park Auditorium one of the greatest events of honor ever held in Fulton.
He was graduated from the naval academy in 1922, with unusual honors. Since his graduation the academy faculty had him assigned as assisting rowing coach. After he was given a naval trip assignment and still later transferred to the Pensacola naval station where he took up aviation. Success continued through well-merited efforts and he was officially designated to go to the Philippine air station, the transfer to have been effective this month.
Christmas Day, 1923, he married Miss Kathryn Healey of Boston, who, with her daughter, Alice, aged three, survive him. Other survivors are his parents Mr. and Mrs. John Frawley, Sr., of this city; three brothers, John S. Jr., of Albany; Matthew, manual training instructor in Fulton High, and Joseph, student in Syracuse university and a member of the rowing and football squads in that school; three sisters, Margaret, Ellen and Marcella, all of this city.
Lieut Frawley was a member of the church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph's council, Knights of Columbus, of this city.
As a young man in the city he was possessed of a faculty of making friends and retaining all such associations in school, he was far advanced in the naval academy he was among the foremost students in studies and athletics. This is evidenced by his many promotions; all well earned. His sudden and tragic death on the threshold of another promotion is a shock, alike to his immediate family, his relatives and the numerous friends and acquaintances.
To the stricken family the unstinted sympathy and condolences of the entire community is extended.
The remains arrived in Fulton Sunday, in charge of Undertaker James Cole and taken to the home of his parents. Mr. and Mrs. John Frawley, at 71 West First street. Funeral services were held at the Church of the Immaculate Conception Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock, and was attended by a large number of relatives and friends. Rev. J.L. Lindsman celebrated a requiem high mass.
Source: The Fulton Patriot, Nov 2, 1927

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1911, Edward attended Oak Street School. In 1916, he was on the Fulton high school basketball team.
In June 1917, Edward and his father were enumerators for the New York State Census in Fulton’s Second District.
On July 27, 1920, aboard the U. S. S. Frederick, Edward and Wallace L. Lee were picked for the paired oar shell race at the Olympics in Antwerp. However, they did not start.
Edward’s widow never remarried and died in December 1963, in Rosindale, Massachusetts.
In 1900, his father John was a farmer, and in 1910, he was a merchant buying tobacco. Like Edward, his brother Joseph was made captain of the rowing crew at Syracuse University in 1928.

Photographs

"Frawley of the Navy Stroke Oar of the 1921 Poughkeepsie Regatta Winners. From the book Rowing by Richard A. Glendon and Richard J. Glendon, Crew Coaches, United States Naval Academy."

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.