It has been written that Frank Trundle was a true class act. His legacy is well known in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee where most who knew him called him “Doc.” His longtime service to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is legendary and his acts of service to the athletes there will long be remembered.
Dr. Trundle was an athlete himself. He earned All-City honors in all three sports and All-State honors in both baseball and basketball at his Chattanooga Central High School. He was captain of the state championship team in 1943. Trundle had numerous offers to sign a major-league baseball contract, but accepted a football scholarship from the University of Georgia.
His stay at Georgia was interrupted by World War II when he was inducted into the Navy and served for more than three years in Europe participating in the invasions of Southern France, Normandy, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After his discharge from the Navy, he attended the University of Chattanooga on both a football and basketball scholarship.
Two years later, he entered UT Medical School in Memphis where he finished first in his dental class. Dr. Trundle served as the team dentist for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (formerly the University of Chattanooga) for 52 years rarely missing a basketball or football game in all those years.
He worked with seven head football coaches and five head basketball coaches. Through the years, he treated more than 20,000 UC and UTC athletes. A passionate family man, Dr. Trundle also loved golf. There are many tales of his play at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club where he was president several years. He also worked with the Tennessee Junior Golf Program and devoted much time mentoring his granddaughter Beth Felts with her golf career. Dr. Trundle served two-years on the University of Tennessee Alumni Board of Directors.
He served as president of the Chattanooga Quarterback Club, the UTC Alumni Association, and the Third District Dental Society. Dr. Trundle’s service to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame began in 1966 when he was named a charter Board member and served tirelessly for nearly 40 years. He received the prestigious Guy Francis Award from the Chattanooga Quarterback Club for service to UTC athletics and UTC gave him one of their highest awards for service to the university. Dr. Trundle has been inducted to the UTC Sports Hall of Fame and the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame.