Frank Worden
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Death Again Claimed a Young Bobcat Football Player Today in 1928, When Rising Star Frank Worden Succumbed to Complications from Appendicitis
11/10/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Worden had starred for the Bobcat football team but his greatest impact may have come on the hardwood
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 10
SPOTLIGHT: Death on a college campus, where youth and growth and vibrant life are foundational, has always arrived suddenly and shockingly, and at a small, insular school like Montana State in its first several decades, the effect was even more severe.
Death's cold hand claimed one of Montana State's brightest on November 10, 1928, when George Francis Worden of Butte died of accute appendicitis in Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. He was a sophomore.
Born on December 23, 1906 in Boise, George Francis Worden was welcomed into the world by parents John Henry and Lula Deseret Scott Worden. He was the only living child at the time of his birth, and the family welcomed a sister, Hazel Lula Worden McCulloch in 1912. She lived in the Butte area until her death in 2011 at the age of 98.
"Greenie" (or, depending on the source, "Greeny") Worden arrived on the Montana State campus in the fall of 1927 with the reputation as one of the state's top prep athletes. He had earned the Bobcat Medal with Butte High as the 1925 State Basketball Tournament's top player in categories of "sportsmanship, aggressiveness and general value to his team," according to the March 11, 1925, Bozeman Courier. Worden was also named to the all-tournament team with, among others, Brick Breeden of Gallatin High.
Worden immediately starred for the Bobkitten football team in the fall of 1927 (freshmen weren't eligible for varsity football at that time, but could participate on other varsity teams), and significantly impacted the Bobcat basketball team during his lone season in the heart of the program's most successful period. As a freshman in 1927-28, Worden played in 34 games and scored 135 points (4.0 points per game). His best night was against Washington State, when his nine buckets netted 19 points.
The Montana State Weekly Exponent summarized Worden's impact as a student-athlete: "With the 1927 Bobkitten team, "Greenie", made a name for himself in football, and when the basketball season came he secured a place on the squad." To understand how impressive it is that a freshman would contribute to the 1927-28 Montana State basketball team, consider his teammates that formed the core of a group that would come to be known as The Wonder Team and, eventually, the Golden Bobcats: Cat Thompson, Brick Breeden, Frank Ward and Max Worthington each induction into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame as individuals.
According to the Moore Independent newspaper on March 15, 1928: "'Cat' Thompson, sharpshooting forward; Frank Ward, center; 'Brick' Breededn (sic), one of the greatest guards of all time and captain of the team; Max Worthington, guard and former Billings high school star; Orland Ward, forward, and brother of the famous 'Frank', and 'Greeny' Worden, who plays equally well at guard, forward or center, bore the brunt of the season's struggles which carried the team to victory..."
Worden earned the starting job at left halfback to open the 1928 football season, and caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the season-opening upset at Idaho. In the game's final minute, "a daring pass slung by (Elwin) Richards, who had to dodge several men to get the ball off, was tipped by (Herschell) Hurd and a Idaho man and caught by Worden for a touchdown. Vogt converted on a place kick," according to the Exponent.
After starting again at halfback - and splitting the punting duties with Ott Gardner - in a loss at Colorado College, Worden started at fullback one week later in the fateful game at Nebraska. Max Worthington, Worden's classmate who according to Paul Wylie "barely won a starting job" on the basketball team from Worden the previous season, scored Montana State's only points on a 90-yard fumble return.
Again, Worden played a key role. Per that week's Exponent: "Although overwhelmed by the powerful Huskers the Bobcats tried desperately to score by the pass route and were on the way for a touchdown just as the half ended after completing four successive passes which carried them almost the entire length of the field. Worden heaved the passes which were pulled out of the air by Hurd and Wellington."
In a forthcoming book about the Golden Bobcat era of Montana State basketball, local historian, author and attorney Paul Wylie writes that Worden had played well in Montana State's 26-6 loss at Nebraska, but on the train ride back to Bozeman "experienced excruciating pain" and was transported to Deaconess Hospital after the team's return to Bozeman and "was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. It was serious. A doctor operated on him, and then fought to keep him alive for three weeks."
On the day of his demise, Wylie writes, "His teammates crowded into the high ceilinged, terrazzo floored hospital hallway, only to have his mother come of out his room on a cold, darky day on November 10 to say that he had died." The Big Timber Pioneer of November 15, 1928, wrote that Worden's death arose from "(c)omplications and two abscesses following an operation for appendicitis..." and described him as "one of the most promising players on the Bobcat eleven. He was a sophomore and was majoring in physical education."
The Weekly Exponent called Worden a "popular student" and "promising athlete." He belonged tot he Lambda Phil fraternity, and Montana State President Alfred Atkinson said of him, "Frank Worden was a very promising young man. He was endowed with a splendid body and had the moral courage and poise that marks a strong personality. The early termination of such lives is a real loss."
Unlike the death of Charles Lange, which immediately ended Montana State's 1911 football season, the 1928 Bobcats carried on. While their teammate's condition steadily grew worse the team beat Northern Colorado 6-2 at home on October 20, then tied the Grizzlies 0-0 on October 27 and beat BYU 19-7 on November 3. The Bobcats beat Wyoming 14-7 in Billings on November 10 before returning to Bozeman to learn of their teammates death. A week later the Cats lost 15-7 at Utah State, then fell 19-0 to Carroll College (then called Mt. St. Charles) in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Frank Worden's death wasn't the first time tragedy visited his family. A half-brother from Lula's first marriage, Thomas Holden (1897-1905), older brother, Henry (1905-1905) died at young ages. John Henry, Frank Worden's father, died in 1930 in Galen, while his mother Lula survived for 90 years, passing in 1965. The Exponent noted that his mother, who had endured so much loss, was at his side upon his death.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2018 - MSU 35, Northern Colorado 7
2007 - MSU 50, at Portland State 36
2001 - MSU 52, Idaho State 13
1990 - MSU 28, at Eastern Washington 25 OT
1984 - MSU 41, Northern Arizona 3
1979 - at North Dakota State 21, MSU 7
1973 - North Dakota 41, MSU 30
1962 - at UM 36, MSU 19
1934 - UM 25, MSU 0 at Butte
1928 - MSU 14, Wyoming 7
1905 - MSU 5, Utah State 5
FINIS: Recaps of Montana State's 14-7 win against Wyoming in Billings on the day of Frank Worden's passing bring to mind contemporary battles on the hardwood between the long-time intermittent rivals. MSU and the Cowboys met several times in the late 1990s and into the 21st century in Billings, always drawing spirited crowds mostly split between MSU's Blue and Gold and the Brown and Yellow of Wyoming. Today in 1928, Montana State and Wyoming "played at Billings before a crowddof five thousand enthusiastic Montana and Wyoming fans." The Bobcats used their aerial attack, and Gus Wylie scored both Bobcat touchdowns.
November 10
SPOTLIGHT: Death on a college campus, where youth and growth and vibrant life are foundational, has always arrived suddenly and shockingly, and at a small, insular school like Montana State in its first several decades, the effect was even more severe.
Death's cold hand claimed one of Montana State's brightest on November 10, 1928, when George Francis Worden of Butte died of accute appendicitis in Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. He was a sophomore.
Born on December 23, 1906 in Boise, George Francis Worden was welcomed into the world by parents John Henry and Lula Deseret Scott Worden. He was the only living child at the time of his birth, and the family welcomed a sister, Hazel Lula Worden McCulloch in 1912. She lived in the Butte area until her death in 2011 at the age of 98.
"Greenie" (or, depending on the source, "Greeny") Worden arrived on the Montana State campus in the fall of 1927 with the reputation as one of the state's top prep athletes. He had earned the Bobcat Medal with Butte High as the 1925 State Basketball Tournament's top player in categories of "sportsmanship, aggressiveness and general value to his team," according to the March 11, 1925, Bozeman Courier. Worden was also named to the all-tournament team with, among others, Brick Breeden of Gallatin High.
Worden immediately starred for the Bobkitten football team in the fall of 1927 (freshmen weren't eligible for varsity football at that time, but could participate on other varsity teams), and significantly impacted the Bobcat basketball team during his lone season in the heart of the program's most successful period. As a freshman in 1927-28, Worden played in 34 games and scored 135 points (4.0 points per game). His best night was against Washington State, when his nine buckets netted 19 points.
The Montana State Weekly Exponent summarized Worden's impact as a student-athlete: "With the 1927 Bobkitten team, "Greenie", made a name for himself in football, and when the basketball season came he secured a place on the squad." To understand how impressive it is that a freshman would contribute to the 1927-28 Montana State basketball team, consider his teammates that formed the core of a group that would come to be known as The Wonder Team and, eventually, the Golden Bobcats: Cat Thompson, Brick Breeden, Frank Ward and Max Worthington each induction into the Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame as individuals.
According to the Moore Independent newspaper on March 15, 1928: "'Cat' Thompson, sharpshooting forward; Frank Ward, center; 'Brick' Breededn (sic), one of the greatest guards of all time and captain of the team; Max Worthington, guard and former Billings high school star; Orland Ward, forward, and brother of the famous 'Frank', and 'Greeny' Worden, who plays equally well at guard, forward or center, bore the brunt of the season's struggles which carried the team to victory..."
Worden earned the starting job at left halfback to open the 1928 football season, and caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the season-opening upset at Idaho. In the game's final minute, "a daring pass slung by (Elwin) Richards, who had to dodge several men to get the ball off, was tipped by (Herschell) Hurd and a Idaho man and caught by Worden for a touchdown. Vogt converted on a place kick," according to the Exponent.
After starting again at halfback - and splitting the punting duties with Ott Gardner - in a loss at Colorado College, Worden started at fullback one week later in the fateful game at Nebraska. Max Worthington, Worden's classmate who according to Paul Wylie "barely won a starting job" on the basketball team from Worden the previous season, scored Montana State's only points on a 90-yard fumble return.
Again, Worden played a key role. Per that week's Exponent: "Although overwhelmed by the powerful Huskers the Bobcats tried desperately to score by the pass route and were on the way for a touchdown just as the half ended after completing four successive passes which carried them almost the entire length of the field. Worden heaved the passes which were pulled out of the air by Hurd and Wellington."
In a forthcoming book about the Golden Bobcat era of Montana State basketball, local historian, author and attorney Paul Wylie writes that Worden had played well in Montana State's 26-6 loss at Nebraska, but on the train ride back to Bozeman "experienced excruciating pain" and was transported to Deaconess Hospital after the team's return to Bozeman and "was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. It was serious. A doctor operated on him, and then fought to keep him alive for three weeks."
On the day of his demise, Wylie writes, "His teammates crowded into the high ceilinged, terrazzo floored hospital hallway, only to have his mother come of out his room on a cold, darky day on November 10 to say that he had died." The Big Timber Pioneer of November 15, 1928, wrote that Worden's death arose from "(c)omplications and two abscesses following an operation for appendicitis..." and described him as "one of the most promising players on the Bobcat eleven. He was a sophomore and was majoring in physical education."
The Weekly Exponent called Worden a "popular student" and "promising athlete." He belonged tot he Lambda Phil fraternity, and Montana State President Alfred Atkinson said of him, "Frank Worden was a very promising young man. He was endowed with a splendid body and had the moral courage and poise that marks a strong personality. The early termination of such lives is a real loss."
Unlike the death of Charles Lange, which immediately ended Montana State's 1911 football season, the 1928 Bobcats carried on. While their teammate's condition steadily grew worse the team beat Northern Colorado 6-2 at home on October 20, then tied the Grizzlies 0-0 on October 27 and beat BYU 19-7 on November 3. The Bobcats beat Wyoming 14-7 in Billings on November 10 before returning to Bozeman to learn of their teammates death. A week later the Cats lost 15-7 at Utah State, then fell 19-0 to Carroll College (then called Mt. St. Charles) in Sheridan, Wyoming.
Frank Worden's death wasn't the first time tragedy visited his family. A half-brother from Lula's first marriage, Thomas Holden (1897-1905), older brother, Henry (1905-1905) died at young ages. John Henry, Frank Worden's father, died in 1930 in Galen, while his mother Lula survived for 90 years, passing in 1965. The Exponent noted that his mother, who had endured so much loss, was at his side upon his death.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2018 - MSU 35, Northern Colorado 7
2007 - MSU 50, at Portland State 36
2001 - MSU 52, Idaho State 13
1990 - MSU 28, at Eastern Washington 25 OT
1984 - MSU 41, Northern Arizona 3
1979 - at North Dakota State 21, MSU 7
1973 - North Dakota 41, MSU 30
1962 - at UM 36, MSU 19
1934 - UM 25, MSU 0 at Butte
1928 - MSU 14, Wyoming 7
1905 - MSU 5, Utah State 5
FINIS: Recaps of Montana State's 14-7 win against Wyoming in Billings on the day of Frank Worden's passing bring to mind contemporary battles on the hardwood between the long-time intermittent rivals. MSU and the Cowboys met several times in the late 1990s and into the 21st century in Billings, always drawing spirited crowds mostly split between MSU's Blue and Gold and the Brown and Yellow of Wyoming. Today in 1928, Montana State and Wyoming "played at Billings before a crowddof five thousand enthusiastic Montana and Wyoming fans." The Bobcats used their aerial attack, and Gus Wylie scored both Bobcat touchdowns.
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