In April of 1932, Frank seriously sprained his back and hip at a track meet; and by May, the pain  worsened, and his personal physician ordered him to skip classes at U. S. C.  (University of  Southern California) for the next  few days.

On May 9, 1932 -- Frank was roaming around his home wearing his comfortable loose fitting housecoat, and decided to take the opportunity to polish the hundreds of  medals and trophies that he had achieved since 1927 in Track and Field competition.

A few hours later, there was a knock at the door; and to Frank's surprise there were reporters with cameras wanting to know if he was just playing hooky; and grilled him with questions as to why he wasn't at his classes or at track practice that day -- after all, the 1932 Olympic tryouts were just around the corner.

After he explained that he seriously sprained his back attempting a javelin throw, and hoped to himself that the nosey reporters would just leave -- except they insisted on an interview, and requested a photograph of him displaying his medals and trophies.

Frank told the reporters that it was too much effort for him to change his clothes for a news photo, but they insisted it was alright to take a photo of him with his housecoat on because he was recuperating.

Frank was a very proper person, and no one was going to snap photographs of him wearing his housecoat; and as painful as it was for him to dress formally, he did; and the photograph that appeared in the newspapers (above) -- did so, without a smile on Frank's face.