William Francis

William Henry Francis (February 28, 1879 – January 26, 1942) was an American Negro leagues third baseman for a few years before the founding of the first Negro National League, and in its first few seasons.

He was playing for the Philadelphia Giants at the age of 27 years in 1906, and continued with that team until 1910, playing Winter Ball for the Matanzas team in Cuba in 1908 and 1909.

Francis went to the Leland Giants in 1911 and stayed there for three seasons.

When Francis left Chicago in 1919, he played the rest of the season for the Detroit Stars.

At the forming of the first Negro National League, the 41-year-old Francis found himself on the Hilldale Club where he would also manage the team.

Francis died in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 62. He is buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois.