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) -who currently heads his own law firm - began his three-year term on the Monogram Club board of directors in June 2004.

Frantz was a walk-on defensive end with the Irish football program in the early 1970s, lettering as a senior on a 1972 squad that included future All-Americans Greg Marx, Mike Fanning and Steve Niehaus on the defensive line. He also played earlier in his career as a member of a Notre Dame defensive line that included the likes of All-Americans Walt Patulski and Mike Kadish.

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 and now heads his own firm of Frantz Ward LLP in Cleveland. His practice focuses on litigation, labor, construction and higher education. 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 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 School, Anny Katan Foundation, Catholic Charities, St. Malachi Center (also president) and St. Joseph Academy.

Frantz - who credits former Notre Dame head coach Ara Parseghian and defensive line coach Joe Yonto with impacting his life through their coaching and leadership - 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 Holy Angels High School in Sidney and 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 Jonathon - and four daughters: Kathleen, Elizabeth ('01 ND grad.), Mary (Saint Mary's '08) and Molly.