Frederick Cunningham went to prep school at Phillips Exeter, graduating in 1917, and then attended the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, graduating in 1920. In addition to competing at the 1920 Olympics, Cunningham was invited to the 1924 US Olympic Trials but was stationed in China at the time and could not get back to the US for the trials. He was also invited to the 1928 Olympic Trials, but by then was suffering from tuberculosis and could not compete. Cunningham was a founding member of the Naval Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.