Robert J . Dunne Robert Jerome " Duke " Dunne ( August 29 , 1899 – May 18 , 1980 ) was an American football player and coach and state court judge in Illinois . He played for the University of Michigan from 1918 to 1921 . After graduating from Michigan in 1922 , he attended law school at Northwestern University where he also served as the line coach for the university ' s football team from 1923 to 1925 . He was also the line coach at Harvard University from 1926 to 1930 and at the University of Chicago in 1935 . He was a state court judge in Illinois from 1931 to 1976 and served as the presiding judge of Chicago ' s probate court for his last 20 years on the bench . Early years . Dunne was born in 1899 in River Forest , Illinois . His father , Edward F . Dunne , was the mayor of Chicago from 1905 to 1907 and Governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917 . While his father was serving as governor , the younger Dunne attended high school in Springfield , Illinois , where he was a star athlete in track and football . Michigan . Three of Dunne ' s older brothers were athletes at the University of Michigan . His brother Edward graduated from Michigan in 1909 and played first base on the Wolverines ' baseball team . His brother Maurice graduated from Michigan ' s law school in 1917 and played for the Wolverines ' baseball and football teams . His brother Dick also competed in athletics at Michigan . Dunne announced his decision to attend the University of Michigan in May 1916 . While attending Michigan , Dunne won varsity letter s in three sports — four in football , two in basketball , and three in track . He played at the center position for the Michigan basketball teams and also represented the University of Michigan and the United States as a competitor in the pentathlon at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp , Belgium . In football , Dunne started all five games for the undefeated 1918 Michigan team that was later recognized as the national championship team . As a sophomore in 1919 , Dunne started six of seven games for Michigan at the right end position . As a junior in 1920 , Dunne was moved from end to guard and started all seven games as left guard for the 1920 team . At the end of the 1920 season , Dunne was elected as the captain of the 1921 Michigan football team . He started five of seven games for the Michigan team in 1921 , all at the left guard position . At the end of the 1921 season , Dunne was selected as a first - team All - American by Norman E . Brown of the Central Press Association . Dunne also earned the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor awarded to the student at each Big Ten university with the best overall record as an athlete and student . Football coach . After graduating from Michigan , Dunne enrolled in law school at Northwestern University . While attending law school , he also served as the line coach for the school ' s football team from 1923 to 1926 . In 1926 , Dunne helped develop the Northwestern line into one of the most powerful in the West . The 1926 team tied with Michigan for the Western Conference title , and held Notre Dame to one touchdown . In January 1927 , Dunne was hired by Harvard University to serve as line coach for its football team under head coach Arnold Horween . Upon his hiring , the Harvard Crimson reported that Dunne had learned the game from Fielding Yost and noted that " he will bring to Harvard a thorough knowledge of a system that has won great success in the Western Conference . " Dunne coached the line at Harvard for five years , announcing his retirement from football in December 1930 . In May 1935 , Dunne , then a sitting judge on the Chicago Municipal Court , was appointed line coach for the University of Chicago football team . He was assigned to develop the team ' s guards and tackles . Judicial career . After leaving Harvard in 1930 , Dunne returned to Chicago and entered the practice of law . In 1932 , he was elected as a municipal court judge in Chicago . In 1936 , he was elected as a judge of the Illinois Circuit Courts . Dunne spent his initial term as a Circuit Court judge working in the criminal courts . He was criticized in 1938 by the state ' s attorney ' s office after he placed 137 defendants on probation in an 18 - month period . Two of the cases which aroused the prosecutor ' s criticism of Dunne were the case of a 19 - year - old man convicted of manslaughter and a former official of Niles , Illinois convicted of embezzlement . Dunne defended his actions , stating that he believed that leniency would reclaim the defendants for society more surely than a prison sentence . When Dunne ran for re - election in 1939 , the bar association committee on candidates endorsed his renomination by a vote of 1 , 558 to 226 with 88 . 94 % rating him as fit . Dunne was re - elected and was assigned as the presiding judge in Juvenile Court in 1947 . In 1948 , Dunne described the position in the Juvenile Court as " the most heart breaking job he has ever had . " He also called it " the most futile job he has known " in criticizing the lack of funding and resources to carry out the vital function . Dunne spent the last 20 years of his judicial career as the presiding probate judge in Chicago . In that position , he presided over lawsuits involving the estates of many of Illinois ' most famous personalities . Among the noted cases in which Dunne presided are the following : Dunne retired from the bench in 1976 . Later years and death . In July 1969 , Dunne received a Distinguished American award from the Chicago chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame for carrying the lessons of football into a life of service to the community . After retiring from the bench in 1976 , Dunne became associate counsel with the law firm of McBride , Baker , Wienke and Schlosser . Dunne died in May 1980 at his home in Winnetka , Illinois . He was 80 years old at the time of his death and was survived by his wife , Margaret , three sons , Robert , Jr . , Denis and Albert Pyott , and a daughter , Carol D . Baranko .