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Michael Frantz Hometown: Avon Lake, Ohio High School: Holy Angels (Sidney, OH); St. Gregory (Cincinnati) Position: Secretary Monogram Earned: Football

Former Notre Dame football player Michael Frantz ('73) co-founded the Cleveland based law firm Frantz Ward LLP in January 2000. From an initial group of 13 lawyers, the firm has now grown to 65 lawyers and is one of the largest firms in Ohio. Frantz first joined the Monogram Club Board of Directors in June 2004, served as an advisor in 2007 and 2008, and now serves as secretary.

Frantz was a walk-on defensive end with the Irish in the early 1970s and lettered as a senior on the 1972 squad. After graduating magna cum laude from Notre Dame ('73) with a degree in political science, Frantz went on to earn his law degree from Georgetown in 1976. His law practice focuses on litigation, labor, construction, higher education and healthcare. He has extensive experience in defense of labor and employment disputes and has negotiated hundreds of contracts on behalf of employers in a broad range of industries.

Frantz also has lectured extensively on various issues involving labor, employment, healthcare, and higher education law. He was a member of the class of 2004 for the Greater Cleveland Growth Association Leadership organization, has served on the advisory committee of the Notre Dame Club of Cleveland, is a former president of the St. Raphael Parish Council and has served on several board of trustees, including the Downtown Cleveland Partnership, Hanna Perkins, Amy Katan Foundation, Catholic Charities, St. Malachi Center (also president), St. Joseph Academy, and St. Ignatius High School.

Frantz - who credits former Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian and defensive line coach Joe Yonto with impacting his life through their coaching, leadership and examples - was born in Sidney, Ohio and grew up as part of a family that could have fielded its own starting 11 on the gridiron (he has seven brothers and five sisters). He played football at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati.

Frantz and his wife, the former Julie Brunetto, were married in 1973 in Piqua, Ohio. The couple has three sons - Michael, Joe and Jonathan, who is a senior outside linebacker on the Irish football team. Mike and Julie also have four daughters - Kathleen, Elizabeth (Notre Dame graduate 2001), Mary (Saint Mary's graduate 2008) and Molly.