Michalis Dorizas facts for kids

Michalis Dorizas in 1908
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	16 April 1886 Constantinople, Turkey
Died	21 October 1957 (aged 71) Philadelphia, United States
Alma mater	Robert College, University of Pennsylvania
Height	1.77 m
Weight	106 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Shot put, discus throw, javelin throw
Club	Athletic Association of Robert College, Constantinople
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	SP – 13.57 m (1914) DT – 42.15 m (1912) JT – 55.10 m (1907)
Medal record Representing  Greece Olympic Games Silver 1908 London Freestyle javelin

Michális Dórizas (born April 16, 1886 – died October 21, 1957) was a talented athlete from Greece. He was famous for throwing events like the javelin, discus, and shot put. He won medals at the Olympic Games and later became a popular professor in the United States.

Michális Dórizas: An Olympic Athlete

Michális Dórizas was born in Constantinople, which is now Istanbul, Turkey. His parents were Greek. He went to Robert College in Constantinople, where he finished his studies.

Early Olympic Success

Michális was a strong athlete who competed in many throwing events. He took part in the Olympic Games several times.

• In 1906, he won a bronze medal in the stone throw.
• At the 1908 London Olympics, he won a silver medal in the javelin throw. This was a great achievement for him!
• He also competed in the discus throw, where he placed fifth in 1908.
• In 1912, he competed in the shot put, finishing 11th.

Life in America

In 1913, Michális moved to the United States. He went to the University of Pennsylvania to continue his education. While there, he became very good at wrestling. He won national championships in wrestling from 1914 to 1916. He also played American football for two years as a guard, which is a position on the offensive line. Even with all this, he still found time to compete in throwing events.

Serving His Country

During World War I, Michális Dórizas served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant in France. After the war, he used his language skills to help. He worked as an interpreter, speaking Greek, Turkish, and English, at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. This was a big meeting where countries decided on peace after the war. He also worked as a geographer, studying the Earth's features, for an international group.

A Beloved Professor

In 1915, Michális earned a master's degree in philosophy. He then started teaching geography at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also working on getting his PhD, which is a very high degree.

He became a very popular teacher at the university. Students loved his classes! In 1943, a special group at the university called the Friars Senior Society said he was the faculty member who helped the university the most that year. Michális Dórizas continued teaching at the University of Pennsylvania until he passed away in 1957.