John C. Schank Dies: End Comes Suddenly from Attack of Heart Disease, Daily Racing Form, 1933-05-31

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JOHN C. SCHANK DIES End Comes Suddenly From Attack of Heart Disease. Late Chicago Sportsman President of Hawthorne and New Orleans Fair Grounds Associations. JOHN C. SCHANK. John Charles Schank, president of the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association, operating Hawthorne, and Crescent City Jockey Cub, which controls the Fair Grounds, New Orleans, died suddenly and apparently with little suffering at his Chicago home at 5:30 oclock Tuesday morning. Aside from a mild cough, Mr. Schank retired last evening in good health and spirits. He was up and preparing to dress when stricken, and died within a short time. He was sixty-five years old and resided with his two sisters at 6720 Oglesby Avenue. The report of his death stunned the entire racing fraternity, and was as shocking to his many friends in other branches of human endeavor. Although he had in recent years given most of his time to his racing interests, Mr. Schank was active in other fields, and had a wide acquaintance in the business, social and civic life of Chicago, northern Illinois and New Orleans. He was a former vice-president and treasurer of the Brunswick-Balke-Collender company, and retired from active participation in the affairs of that company several years ago. He was with that company for forty-five years. Starting as a boy of sixteen years, he worked his way up through the ranks, and for many years was the active head Of the concern, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Continued on twenty-first page. JOHN C.jSCHANK DIES Continued from first page. For many years before the organization of the Chicago Business Mens Racing As-. sociation he was an ardent devotee of racing and the thoroughbred horse. He bred and raced a large number of horses, but after the formation of the Hawthorne Association, disposed of his breeding and racing interests. Last summer he and other " sportsmen, including several of his associates in the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association, purchased the New Orleans Fair Grounds track from Col. E. R. Bradley and Mr. Schank personally directed the meeting at that track last winter. He took a very active part in the re-establishment of racing on a legal basis in Illinois, and with the passage of the Lager Bill, interested a large number of his friends in the sport. He also assisted in organizing the Illinois Turf Association, of which he was a member, representing the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association. He never married. His father, John Schank, immigrated to this country from Germany when fifteen years old. He was sixteen when he settled in Chicago, and within a score of years became a successful merchant. He was a leading pioneer in the development of the city and for a number of years served as marshall of the fire department. Surviving are his two sisters, Katherine and Elizabeth, with whom he resided. Mr. Schank was born on the site of the old Dearborn station on May 22, 1867. Mr. Schank was often referred to as "the most popular man on the turf." He had many friends wherever racing is, or was conducted, during the many years he was interested in the sport, and had visited every principal racing center and track in North America. He was generous to a fault, and his acts of benevolence aided many on the turf. An ever-present smile marked him apart from all men. He passed his sixty-fifth natal day on May 22, and during the past week entertained many visiting and local friends at Washington Park. Yesterday he spent much of the day in his offices in the Congress bank building. Out of respect for the dead sportsman, the flags at Washington Park were at half-mast this afternoon. He was a member of the Chicago Athletic Association, South Shore Country Club, Medinah Athletic Club, Lake Shore Athletic Club, Germania Club, Knights of Pythias, Elks and Shriners. Funeral services will be held at the Evangelical church, 6820 Emerald Avenue, at 2:30 p. m., Thursday afternoon, with interment in Oakwood Cemetery. Following are the pall bearers: , Active pall bearers: James Levy, Thomas M. McHale, Charles Krutchkoff, Robert M. Birck, Charles Freiberg, W. R. Scott. Honorary pall bearers: Governor Henry Horner, B. E. Bensinger, Julius Balke, , judge Joseph A. Murphy, Charles Bidwill, Col. Matt Winn, Congressman Edward R. Reid, Ed. J. Nuckols, John Fitzpatrick, Charles McCullough, Stuyvesant Peabody, Edward Hughes, R. J. Barr, Albert Sabath, C. W. Hay, Maurice Galvin, Otto Lehmann, Bruce Head, Bruce Campbell, Robert Sweitzer, John T. Connery, Thomas Flynn, W. L. Hutcheson, Joseph B. McDon-ough, John J. Broderick, Fred E. Sterling, Arch Ward, Warren Brown, Howard Mann, Marvin McCarthy, C. W. Dunkley, George Kirksey, John Hoffman, judge C. C. Riley, M. L. Annenberg, R. J. Brooks, A. W..Kruse, French Lane, Dee Sparr, Emil Thiry, Henry Simmons, Paul Hirtenstein, Larry Fitzgerald, James A. Corcoran, Joe Foley, Lincoln Plaut, James J. Murphy, Harvey Woodruff, Albon Holden.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1933053101/drf1933053101_1_6
Local Identifier: drf1933053101_1_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800