Ed Frank was born, at home, on a dairy farm near Cedarburg, WI on January 16, 1933. He graduated from Pleasant Knoll School, a one room
country grade school nearby, where all eight grades were taught by one teacher. For eight grades, he had only two different teachers (who were
sisters). He then attended Cedarburg High School (CHS), where he graduated, with honors, on June 2, 1950, among a class of 64 students.
Ed was CHS Student Council President for two years, Junior Prom King, and a chorus member for four years. He was a varsity letter winner on
CHS championship football and basketball teams and earned 3 varsity letters in baseball. He became an Inaugural Inductee into The CHS
Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 19, 2011.
Ed then attended Marquette University ( MU ), in Milwaukee, on a partial (Books & Tuition ) Football Scholarship. He earned three
varsity letters at MU playing defensive end, offensive tackle and defensive tackle. He served as Co-captain of the 1953 team and received
honorable mention on three All-American Teams.
In 1954 he tried to follow Lyle Blackbourn to Green Bay. He was signed by The Green Bay Packers but was released at the end of the exhibition season.
He graduated from MU with a BS Degree in Biology in 1954 and an MS Degree in Biology in 1957. He attended UW-Madison as a PhD Candidate,
in Wildlife Ecology, from 1957 through the 1960's, but never obtained his degree.
He never served in the Military. He was deferred as an undergraduate. He had his physical and received his notice to report, in June, 1954 when
President Eisenhower changed Draft Classification Priorities, causing the Local Draft Board to rescind the order to report.
Ed joined the old WCD in 1958 as a Conservation Aid. After working for two years for John Gates , on his Pheasant Research Project , he
became a game manager at Elkhorn ,where he served under Paul Kennedy - Area Game Manager for Walworth & Jefferson Counties. Two years later he
transferred to Wildlife Research as the project leader for Experimental Upland Game Habitat Management research at the Waterloo Wildlife Area in
Jefferson and Dodge Counties. A paper entitled, Production of Nesting and Winter cover for Pheasants in Wisconsin, was published, based on
this research, in the Journal of Wildlife Management, 33:802-810, in October, 1969. It was one of the first times warm season grasses had
been planted to provide residual nesting cover for pheasants.
He transferred to the Bureau of Wildlife Management Staff in 1969. He was the first to occupy the newly created position of Farm Game Staff
Specialist. He ultimately became responsible for staff work on all small game. He also served on a variety of Inter-agency Committees, including
Federal ASCS and SCS Program Committees and a Public Law 566 committee (USDA sought to channel steams and drain wetlands as part of broader
Watershed Projects, which used controversial Recreation Benefits to justify cost /benefits ). Probably the most rewarding activity, during
this period, was working with and through the Midwest Pheasant Council and the Wildlife Management Institute to obtain Wildlife Benefits from
long-term USDA Agricultural Land Retirement Programs, similar to the current CRP.
In 1977, Ed was assigned to the Bureau of Planning to work on developing and implementing "Comprehensive Wildlife Planning"- An effort
to employ the "Management by Objective" method of pursuing the States wildlife management goals being pushed by the US Fish& Wildlife
Service, at the time. While doing this, he continued to carry out most of his upland game staff duties.
Ed returned to full time Bureau of Wildlife staff work in 1983,under the new title of Upland Wildlife Ecologist.He advocated hunting STOCKED
hen pheasants, along with roosters, on the Bong Recreation Area and on large heavily hunted Wildlife Areas that had low, or no wild pheasant
populations. He advocated closing heavily hunted large wildlife areas at 2:00 PM to facilitate stocking for the next day. He coordinated the
modernization of the pheasant rearing facilities at the Poynette State Game Farm. He advocated infusing Pennsylvania and Iowa wild pheasant
stock into parts of Wisconsin that appeared to have suitable habitat, but few or no pheasants.
He coordinated Project Respect (A Program to facilitate obtaining access, for hunting, from cooperating private landowners). He was
designated to be the Wildlife Staff liaison to the Bureau of Engineering for development projects on State Wildlife Areas.
Ed was one of the leading role players in the re-introduction of the Wild Turkey to Wisconsin. After the first few years, he was also
responsible for coordinating The Wild Turkey Hunter Education Program in Wisconsin and administering the Turkey Hunting Permit System, together
with the License Section and Data Processing.
He developed the Natural Resources Board Wildltfe Policy, which is still Appendix M in the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
Ed retired in January, 1991, but remained very active as a Wildlife Biologist. In 2007 he received The Wisconsin Award from The WI Chapter
of The Wildlife Society-"In Recognition of Exceptional Contribution to the Conservation of Wisconsin's Wildlife Resources". He is a past
President and a current Board Member of The Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society. He was an active member of the national Wild Turkey
Federation for a number of years post-retirement,but drifted away a few years ago,when the State Chapter became very political.
From the time he retired in 1991, until 2013, Ed was an active participant on almost all of the DNR's Upland Game Bird Technical
Committees. He considered his role to be to offer historical perspective and knowledge. In 2013, the role of DNR retirees on these committees
was severely curtailed by DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. He now participates only by invitation from the Committee Chair.
Soon after retiring, Ed joined the Association of Retired Conservationists (ARC), also known as the " Ex-Cons." He initially
served as an alternate to Tom Rausch who was The DNR Retiree Representative (And a Charter Member) of The Wisconsin Coalition of
Annuitants (WCOA). WCOA consists of 20 statewide and regional organizations representing public employee retirees in the Wisconsin
Retirement System(WRS). WCOA's goals are to provide a forum for member organizations to share information, discuss and actively pursue issues
and problems affecting WRS retirees, and protect the fiscal and administrative integrity of the Wiscosin Retirement System.
Soon after Tom Rausch died in January, 2004, Ed was elected WCOA Representative and Jim Miller-the alternate Representative, for DNR
retirees. This gave rise to The " Frank N Miller "monthly WCOA report to Madison's SW Chapter of ARC. Jim Miller keeps the four other ARC
Chapters well informed by email and Ed and Jim attend other ARC Chapter meetings by invitation.
Ed married his wife, Deane, on Jan. 30, 1954 and they have two daughters, Marie and Peggy. Ed and Deane recently celebrated their 60th
Wedding Anniversary in Hawaii, with the entire family, which also included two son-in-laws and two granddaughters. Had a great time!
Just before they retired,The Frank's purchased a lake cottage on Deer Lake, Northwest of Spooner, which they frequently visit for 3-7 day
"Vacations" from their primary residence on Madison's East Side, where they have lived for the past 45 years.
They often spend about a month near Bonita Springs, Florida partying with other Retirees in Feb. or March. In the past they have spent a week or more in Florida, Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, California, Arizona, Washington, Nevada and New Hampshire.
They can't think of any state they haven't traveled through in the US at some time or other.
A 3 week wildlife photo safari in southeast Africa in 2007 was the zenith of their foreign travel. Various excursions into Canada and
Mexico were very enjoyable,as were cruises to Alaska, The Sea of Cortez, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico.