This book would not be possible if not for the dedication of Historical Society of Frankford (HSF) members. They have been preserving the artifacts and knowledge of the area since 1922 and several deserve recognition. HSF President Howard Barnes compiled the first collection of Yellow Jackets history in 1985. The scrapbook of newspaper articles, game results and commentary has been invaluable to our research. We see this book as a continuation of his work. More recently lectures by Fred Harris (on Wistar Park) and Bruce Miller (on the Yellow Jackets history) have provided much detail to the stories presented here. Brian Harris published a book on Frankford and we relied heavily on it for Chapter 1. HSF president Jerry Kolankiewicz also provided meticulous editing of the manuscript. And last but certainly not least, Susan Couvreur provided incredible access to the HSF archives. Together we uncovered a treasure trove of Frankford Athletic Association documents and photos. Susan’s work in digitizing those photos has been monumental. We are extremely grateful for her hard work and photography skills. Lastly, we were honored to be invited to give a lecture about the Yellow Jackets on November 14, 2023 and thankful for all the public feedback.
The Historical Society of Frankford was an integral resource in researching the Yellow Jackets book. Proceeds from book sales will benefit the Society.
The Historical Society of Frankford collects, preserves and presents the history of Frankford and vicinity. The Society documents and interprets the history of the people, places, events, and traditions of this area and serves as an advocate for the preservation of the region’s historic resources. Through its collections and programs, the HSoF provides opportunities for its members, the surrounding community, and the general public to explore and appreciate the history of Frankford and its place in the world.
From President Jerry Kolankiewicz:
Brian Michael and Andrew Weicker originally came to the Historical Society of Frankford to research the Frankford Yellow Jackets in connection with their previous history of the Philadelphia Eagles. The resulting volume was published in August, 2021. The Yellow Jackets, of course, are generally recognized as the predecessors of the Eagles franchise. The current work is an outgrowth of that earlier endeavor, the authors having found enough useful information in our archives to generate a separate, more detailed history of the earlier sports club sponsored by the Frankford Athletic Association.
Our board member Susan Couvreur has been critical in aiding the authors with gathering and assembling the photographs used in the effort and coordinating the research of the book. Board members John Hewitt and Fred Prescott along with our staff librarian Richard Thomas also provided valuable research assistance.
The Historical Society of Frankford is both honored and excited to be part of this ambitious project. We believe it is important to highlight the historic ties between one of the NFL’s oldest team franchises and our Frankford community. In addition, we are delighted to see that the authors have gone beyond a strictly sports-related approach to more broadly cover the social impact of the Frankford Athletic Association on the surrounding neighborhoods.