Frank Denius: 1925-2018. Athens, TX.
A Longhorn football fixture, a great man, a war hero, a generous philanthropist, and a true Longhorn legend. I hope you’ll read this interview by the Veterans Project to get some sense of the man and what he experienced.
Denius was one of the most highly decorated American soldiers in the European theater; arriving in France on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He earned four Silver stars (and holds the French Legion of Honor - the highest honor one can achieve in France) as a forward artillery observer working behind German lines, was wounded twice in action, survived hell and several months of unceasing combat, returned to Texas, got his degree after enrolling as a 20 year old freshman, went into law, had a tremendously successful career, and then spent the rest of his life giving back to the city of Austin, state of Texas, our university (he has been a generous contributor at Texas and several other universities) and the country that he loved.