The Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association recently announced that legendary Hobart College Lacrosse Head Coach Francis L. "Babe" Kraus '24 will be inducted into its Hall of Fame. The four member Class of 2022 will be honored Dec. 10 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
 
Individual tickets are $100 and can be purchased on the IMLCA website. The induction ceremony and dinner reception are scheduled to being at 6 p.m.
 

Kraus led the Statesmen for 37 seasons between 1927 and 1966, compiling a 208-119-5 (.634) record. He mentored his Statesmen to 80 All-America awards. Kraus helped coach the North team in the annual North-South Senior All-Star Game in 1942, 1947 and 1954.
 
In 1938, Kraus guided Hobart to its first undefeated lacrosse season, posting a 6-0 record that included victories over Central New York rivals Cornell (9-4), Syracuse (9-7 in OT) and Colgate (18-5). Two years later, Kraus and the Statesmen again posted a perfect record, going 5-0 with victories over Penn State (14-9), Union (19-6), Colgate (19-4), Cornell (19-6) and Syracuse (14-8). Both the 1938 and 1940 teams were among the first four Hobart Teams of Distinction, honored on Nov. 3, 2006.
 
Over his final six seasons at the helm for Hobart, Kraus guided the Statesmen to a 61-16 (.792) record, including a then program record 12 wins against just one loss in 1961.
 
Kraus played a central role in the development of college lacrosse in the United States. He was a member of the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Executive Board (1932, 1933, 1960, 1961, 1962); Rules Committee (1945, 1946); Advisory Rules Committee (1963, 1964); Development of Lacrosse Committee (1939); All-American Committee (1941); All-American Advisory Committee (1952, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966); Nominating Committee (1962, 1963); and Man of the Year Award Committee (1963, 1964).
  Kraus also coached football, basketball and baseball at Hobart and served as the College's Athletic Director from 1932 to 1963. Kraus was a distinguished student-athlete at Hobart as well. He was a three-time letterman in football and basketball and a two-year letterman in lacrosse, earning USILA All-America recognition both years.
 
Kraus, who died in 1966, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1964, the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986, and the Geneva Sports Hall of Fame in 1996.
 
The Hobart Athletics Senior Athlete of the Year award is named in his honor as is the USILA Division II Coach of the Year award and the USILA Division III Coach of the Year award. The winner of the annual Hobart-Syracuse lacrosse game is presented with the Kraus-Simmons Trophy.
 
Kraus' sons, Joe '50 and Jon '55, also graduated from Hobart and competed for the Statesmen. Jon was inducted into the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. "Babe" Kraus' grandsons, Jim '74, Jerry '79 and Joe '79, also carried on the family tradition, competing for the Statesmen and graduating from Hobart.
 
In addition to Kraus, Richie Meade (Navy), Glenn Thiel (Penn State) and Paul Wehrum (Union) will be inducted into the IMLCA Hall of Fame in December. Thiel, who graduated from Penn State in 1966, played against Kraus' Statesmen three times. Hobart won in 1964 (9-7) and 1966 (15-9), while Penn State prevailed in 1965 (4-3).
 
Kraus will be the fourth former Hobart head coach inducted into the IMLCA Hall of Fame, joining Dave Urick (1979-89), Buddy Beardmore (1967) and Jerry Schmidt (1968-78).