Convinced he could do a better job at ushering he started his own business at Comiskey Park with some of his brawny buddies in 1924. he got his first big break four years later when Cubs owner William Wrigley Jr. gave him a break after a near riot at Wrigley Field when customers found their seats already occupied. He hired Andy Frain to clean up the mess. He did.
In gratitude, Wrigley gave him $5,000 to buy uniforms. Andy Frain was a Notre Dame fan, though he never finished school, and he chose his team's colors and they became his ushers' trademark.
He had a great sense of humor too. During the 1952 Republican National Convention at the International Amphitheatre, which also hosted livestock shows, both of which his ushers were in, he was asked by reporters to compare the two events. He replied, "I believe the pigs are a little cleaner as they do not throw cups, food, used badges, etc., on the floor. Pigs also as they are told most of the time, while delegates are unpredictable."
During World War II, Andy Frain had to start using female usherettes because the men were off fighting.
Frain's sons took over the business in 1968 and ran it to the 1990s. Andy Frain Services is still a name in security and event management.
--DaCoot
Showing posts with label Andy Frain Ushers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andy Frain Ushers. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Chicago's Andy Frain Ushers-- Part 1: Military Discipline
From the August 30, 2015, Chicago Tribune "Chicago Flashback: Andy Frain ushers were once just about everywhere in Chicago" by Ron Grossman.
They wore blue uniforms trimmed with gold and you would see them out at Wrigley Field or the old Chicago Stadium for sporting events. They were also at the Greyhound bus station and O'Hare Airport. They were the ones who took care of duty at top-drawer events.
They had strict dress codes and vigorous drilling.
Boss Andy Frain told a Tribune reporter in 1948 that he was proud of his company with its military discipline, high expectations and successful alums.
Andy Frain was the product of the hardscrabble Back of the Yards Chicago neighborhood. As one of 15 children, he directed his siblings in use of the outdoor privy. At age 16, he was earning a few bucks picking up seat cushions and empty bottle at Comiskey Park. he said that the first 100 guys would get jobs as ushers, but a fourth of them were dips who would pick your pocket while taking you to your seat.
--CootToYourSeater
They wore blue uniforms trimmed with gold and you would see them out at Wrigley Field or the old Chicago Stadium for sporting events. They were also at the Greyhound bus station and O'Hare Airport. They were the ones who took care of duty at top-drawer events.
They had strict dress codes and vigorous drilling.
Boss Andy Frain told a Tribune reporter in 1948 that he was proud of his company with its military discipline, high expectations and successful alums.
Andy Frain was the product of the hardscrabble Back of the Yards Chicago neighborhood. As one of 15 children, he directed his siblings in use of the outdoor privy. At age 16, he was earning a few bucks picking up seat cushions and empty bottle at Comiskey Park. he said that the first 100 guys would get jobs as ushers, but a fourth of them were dips who would pick your pocket while taking you to your seat.
--CootToYourSeater
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