Fred K . Nielsen Fred Kenelm Nielsen ( April 22 , 1879 – January 12 , 1963 ) was a Danish - American lawyer , diplomatic official , and college football coach . Nielsen served as the head football coach at the Maryland Agricultural College ( now known as the University of Maryland ) from 1905 to 1906 , the George Washington University from 1907 to 1908 , Georgetown University from 1910 to 1911 , and the Catholic University of America from 1915 to 1916 . Early life . Nielsen was born in Slagelse , Denmark on April 22 , 1879 . He emigrated to Omaha , Nebraska with his parents the following year . Nielsen attended the University of Nebraska , from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1902 and a LL . B . in 1904 . During college , he played on the Cornhuskers football team as a halfback , and earned a varsity letter in 1900 . Professional career . Nielsen started his career with the United States Department of State in 1904 . In 1905 , the Maryland Agricultural College ( now the University of Maryland ) hired Nielsen as its head football coach . He replaced its previous coach , D . John Markey , who had quit after the school denied an increase to the job ' s $ 300 salary . Nielsen tolerated the low pay , however , because of his full - time job with the State Department . During his two years at Maryland , posted an 11 – 7 record . He continued coaching college football part - time in the Washington area . From 1907 to 1908 , Nielsen was the head coach at the George Washington University . In his first year there , the Hatchetites posted a poor 2 – 5 – 1 record , but improved to 9 – 1 – 1 the following season , which was enough to clinch the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association ( SAIAA ) championship . Nielsen then coached at Georgetown University from 1910 to 1911 . In that period , his teams posted a 14 – 2 – 2 record and outscored their opponents 438 – 57 . Georgetown ' s losses came at the hands of undefeated , untied , and unscored upon and the Carlisle Indians led by Jim Thorpe . Georgetown secured the SAIAA championship both years of Nielsen ' s tenure . At the same time , Nielsen studied at the Georgetown University Law School , and received a Master of Law degree in 1906 . In 1913 , Nielsen was named the Assistant Solicitor of the Department of State . In 1914 , he was assigned as a plenipotentiary during discussions in Christiania , Norway of a Spitsbergen government . As the assistant solicitor , Nielsen did not intend to continue coaching , but in 1915 , the Catholic University of America implored him to take over its ailing football program . He helmed the Cardinals from 1915 to 1916 , and compiled a 9 – 6 record . In 1918 , Nielsen served in the United States Army until Armistice and attained the rank of major . He represented the United States at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference , and was the primary American representative in a commission re - examining Belgian treaty obligations of 1839 . Nielsen served on the committee that decided the sovereignty of the Spitsbergen archipelago . On June 23 , 1920 , President Wilson appointed Nielsen as the Solicitor of the State Department , the department ' s chief legal officer . Nielsen resigned from that position in 1922 , and later that year , President Harding nominated him as the American representative for the British - American Claims Commission . Nielsen later served as the American commissioner of the Mexican Claims Commission , which existed from 1924 to 1937 to settle disputes between the two nations . In 1931 , he resigned from that post " in disgust " at the actions of some of the Mexican and Panamanian delegates . Nielsen died on January 12 , 1963 .