The Hobart and William Smith Athletics Department announced a fundraising effort to create The Francis L. "Babe" Kraus 1924 Hobart Lacrosse Head Coach Endowment, launched through a generous lead gift from Babe's grandson, Jim Kraus '74.
 
Babe Kraus is a legendary figure in the college lacrosse world. He was a two-time All-American as a defender. An exceptional athlete, Kraus also starred on the hardwood and the gridiron at Hobart. In fact, he played one season in the NFL appearing in seven games, including four starts, for the 1924 Buffalo Bisons.
 
Kraus returned to his alma mater as a coach and for the next 40 years, he mentored and molded students at Hobart College. He earned a faculty position, professor of physical education, in 1926 and was a fixture in the campus and greater Geneva community. He was the senior member of the faculty when he passed away at the age of 67 in 1966.
 
After two seasons as an assistant coach, Kraus was named the head coach of Hobart lacrosse before the start of the 1927 season. Over the next 37 seasons (the lacrosse program was suspended for three years during World War II), he led the Statesmen to 208 wins against 119 losses and five ties. Kraus has more career coaching wins, more seasons coached and more games coached (332) than anyone else in the program's 123-season history. He held the NCAA men's lacrosse record for most consecutive seasons at one institution until 2005.
 
Kraus was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1964, the Hobart Athletics Hall of Fame in 1986, the Geneva Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the IMLCA Hall of Fame in 2022.
 
Kraus mentored his Statesmen to 80 All-America awards. He 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, Syracuse and Colgate. Two years later, Kraus and the Statesmen again posted a perfect record, going 5-0 with victories over Penn State, Union, Colgate, Cornell and Syracuse. Both the 1938 and 1940 teams were among the first four Hobart Teams of Distinction, honored in 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).
 
Each year, the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association presents the Babe Kraus Coach of the Year awards to the top coaches in Division II and Division III.
 
The drive to create The Francis L. "Babe" Kraus 1924 Hobart Lacrosse Head Coach Endowment is part of a larger effort to bolster the student experience at HWS, enhancing our reputation as a premier liberal arts and sciences institution and succeeding in our mission to prepare students to lead lives of consequence.

To learn more about Further Together: The Campaign for Our Third Century, visit hws.edu/together.