Curtis Charles "Curt" Stone (November 19, 1922 – July 30, 2021) was an American
long-distance runner. He competed in the 5000 m at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics with the best result of sixth place in 1948. He also competed in the 10000 m at the 1952 Olympics.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, beginning in 1943, Stone served in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
with the
95th Air Base Wing, a unit of the
U.S. Army Air Forces that was based at
RAF Horham
Horham (pronounced 'Hohrum') is a village in the county of Suffolk, in the East Anglia region of eastern England, United Kingdom. The village contains a church, St. Mary of Horham. Horham is on the B1117 road, approximately halfway between Eye ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, working for one and a half years as a finance clerk.
During the 3,000 m steeplechase at the 1951 Pan American Games, Stone was easily ahead but slowed on the final straightaway to allow teammate
Browning Ross
Harris Browning 'Brownie' Ross (April 26, 1924 – April 27, 1998) is often referred to as the father of long-distance running in the United States.Road Runners Club of Woodbury: George Benjamin, Jr. & H. Browning Ross Memorial 5K Run & Walk'' 2 ...
to catch up. The two crossed the finish line hand in hand forcing a tie for first place. Argentine officials debated whether to disqualify the pair for helping each other, but ultimately let the results stand, ranking Stone as first after a close examination of the finish photograph. At those Games, Stone also won the 10,000 m and placed fourth in the 1500 m final.
Stone won 13
AAU titles, including four in the 6-miles/10,000 m in 1951–54 and three in the 5000 m in 1947–48 and 1952. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
he served in the
95th Air Base Wing near
Horham
Horham (pronounced 'Hohrum') is a village in the county of Suffolk, in the East Anglia region of eastern England, United Kingdom. The village contains a church, St. Mary of Horham. Horham is on the B1117 road, approximately halfway between Eye ...
, England. He then graduated from the
Pennsylvania State University in 1947, defended a PhD in education there in 1963, and became a professor at
Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in ...
.
[ As of 2021, he was retired and living in Brooklyn Township, Susquehanna County, eastern ]Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
Stone died on July 30, 2021, at The KentRidge Senior Living in Kent, Ohio, at the age of 98.Curtis Stone obituary
/ref>
See also
*List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians
The List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians is a list of former or current Penn State students (129) and coaches/faculty members (12) that have made an appearance as athletes or medaled at the Olympic Games, plus one athlete for the boycott ...
References
External links
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Obituary
1922 births
2021 deaths
American male long-distance runners
American male steeplechase runners
Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1951 Pan American Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
People from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania
Penn State College of Education alumni
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Medalists at the 1951 Pan American Games
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
20th-century American people
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