Horace Ashenfelter facts for kids
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| Full name | Horace Ashenfelter, III | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 23, 1923 Collegeville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died | January 6, 2018 (aged 94) West Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Horace Ashenfelter III (born January 23, 1923 – died January 6, 2018) was a famous American athlete. He competed in track and field events around the world from 1947 to 1956. During his amazing career, he won many national titles. He earned fifteen national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles. He also won three national titles while in college.
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About Horace Ashenfelter
Early Life and Military Service
Horace was born in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He went to Collegeville High School. Later, he studied at Penn State. During World War II, Horace served in the United States Army Air Forces. He was a pilot and also taught others how to use guns.
Olympic Gold Medalist
Horace became famous at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He was a surprise winner in the steeplechase race. This race involves running over hurdles and a water jump. He started behind but made a dramatic surge on the last lap. He finished ahead of Vladimir Kazantsev from the Soviet Union. He also beat John Disley of Great Britain.
Horace even broke the unofficial world record for the steeplechase. At the time, the IAAF (now World Athletics) did not officially record steeplechase times. Because Horace worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), people joked about him. They said he was the first American spy who let a Russian chase him! In 1952, Horace also won the James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the best amateur athlete of the year.
Other Running Achievements
Horace won the Millrose Games two-mile run several times. He won it from 1952 to 1955. He also won it again in 1957. His fastest winning time was in 1954, finishing in 8 minutes and 53.3 seconds. He won the USA Cross Country Championships in 1954 and 1955. His younger brother, Bill Ashenfelter, had won the same championship earlier. They are the only brothers to both win this event.
Hall of Fame Honors
Horace Ashenfelter was recognized for his great achievements. He was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2001, he joined the Millrose Games Hall of Fame. This was for being a five-time champion there. He was also inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2012. In 1998, he joined the Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey.
Personal Life and Legacy
Horace lived in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. An annual race called the Ashenfelter 8k Classic is held there in his honor. The indoor track facility at his old university, Penn State, is also named after him. Horace Ashenfelter passed away on January 6, 2018. He was in a nursing home in West Orange, New Jersey. He died just 17 days before his 95th birthday.
See also
- List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians
Images for kids
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