Joseph J. Julien

Frenchy, as he was known to all, was born in Parry Sound, Canada, in 1907. His family moved to Brooklyn, New York, and Frenchy was educated at the Manual Training High School, graduating in 1927. He then went to Rutgers University, graduating in 1932, and followed with graduate work, getting his MA at Columbia in 1948.

While in high school, Frenchy earned four letters in soccer, two in basketball, four in swimming, and four in lacrosse. In 1923, Frenchy won the coveted award in Brooklyn as the "Most Perfect Boy" in an annual contest.

During Frenchy's years at Rutgers he made freshman numerals in football, basketball, swimming, and lacrosse and was captain of both the basketball and swimming team his freshman year. After his freshman year he dropped swimming, but won three letters in football, basketball, and lacrosse, captained the lacrosse team his senior year and in 1931 he was the highest scorer in the nation in lacrosse. Frenchy played midfield on the 12-man teams and switched to attack after the teams were cut to 10 men.

After graduating, Frenchy played four years with the Crescent Club, and he started officiating almost immediately. He helped organize and start lacrosse in the high schools on Long Island, as well as starting and coaching a team at St. Francis College in 1934. Frenchy became district chief referee in 1956 for the New York Area and in 1958 took over as chief referee for the USILA. During his career, he did an outstanding job of organizing officials' associations and upgrading the officiating throughout the whole country. He worked more Army-Navy games and North-South games than all other officials combined.

After Dinty Moore gave up editing the Lacrosse News, Frenchy took it over and ran it for five years and did an excellent job. After graduating from college, Frenchy held only two positions, working for the Bacharach Rasin Company from 1935-40, and as director of athletics at the Greenvale Country Day School on Long Island.

Frenchy was a corporal in the U.S. Army from 1943-45. Frenchy was one of the outstanding lacrosse men of our generation and gave untiring efforts in working for the game in all its phases and especially in one of the most important departments, that of officiating.

Frenchy Julien passed away in 1984.