Frank "Nordy" Hoffman
American football player (1909-1996)

Frank Nordhoff "Nordy" Hoffman (December 19, 1909 – April 5, 1996) was an American college football player at the University of Notre Dame where his record as All-American guard during the 1930 and 1931 seasons was commemorated, in 1978, with election to the College Football Hall of Fame. From 1975 to 1981, he served as the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate.
His full name was Frank Nordhoff Hoffmann and everyone called him "Nordy". Born in Seattle, he attended St. Martin High School but didn't play football there. He enrolled at the University of Notre Dame and met football coach, Knute Rockne. The coach noted his size, 6-2 and 224 pounds, and asked Nordy to try out for football. As a sophomore, he was a fourth-string tackle on the 1929 squad that included some legendary Notre Dame names...Frank Carideo, Marty Brill, Frank Leahy, Marchy Schwartz, Tommy Yarr and Jack Cannon. He moved up to the varsity as a second-string tackle in 1930 and first-string guard in 1931. The Associated Press and Liberty named him to their All-America teams.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Frank "Nordy" Hoffman” as american football player (1909-1996). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as american football player (1909-1996). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5487281. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1909, 1996, 1930 and 1931.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Frank "Nordy" Hoffman”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Frank "Nordy" Hoffman primary sources, Frank "Nordy" Hoffman archive and Frank research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Frank "Nordy" Hoffman”?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Frank "Nordy" Hoffman” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.