Julius "Julie" Franks, Jr. (September 5, 1922[1] – November 26, 2008[2]) was a civil rights leader and an All-American guard who played football at the University of Michigan from 1941 to 1942.

He also became an active community leader who contributed his time to public service and who helped to integrate Grand Rapids, Michigan by financing home construction in a majority Caucasian neighborhood.

[4] He is the son of Julius Franks, Sr. and Nellie Mae Solomon and father of Daryl, Cheryl, Bobby, Beverly A Grant, Fredrick.

[4] The 1942 Wolverines' offensive line, which included Franks, Al Wistert, Robert Kolesar, Merv Pregulman, and Elmer Madar, was known as the "Seven Oak Posts".

[6] Franks credited the group's success to scrimmaging as rookies against the 1940 offense that included Tom Harmon, Forest Evashevski, and Bob Westfall.

Franks recalled that head coach Fritz Crisler was a regular visitor to his hospital room, and team star Tom Harmon also stopped to visit while on leave from military service.

[5] Franks served on several boards: Executive Communication, Vice President, President, 1951–87; Kent County Dental Society, 1951–92; Michigan & American Dental Association, 1951–96; trustee, Western Michigan University, 1964–82 (trustee emeritus, 1983); Director, Boulevard Memorial Medical Center, 1974–84; Director, United Way Kent County, 1987–92.

Adams, Franks, and friends Joseph Lee and Samuel Triplett created a plan to purchase the 20 acres (80,937 m2) site and build a middle-class neighborhood for African-Americans.