Arthur Francis Crowley (May 21, 1909 – April 13, 1980) was an American middle-distance and

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

. He finished 8th in the

1500 meters The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...

at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

Career

Crowley was

Manhattan College Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...

's first Olympian and NCAA champion graduating in 1934. Won NCAA two-mile championship in 1934. And, selected for the

Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980. Crowley placed third in the

at the 1931

national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

. The following year the national championships doubled as the

Olympic Trials Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...

and this time Crowley was second, behind

Norwood Hallowell Norwood Penrose Hallowell III (2 November 1909 – 28 March 1979) was an American middle distance runner who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He broke the Olympic record for the 1500-meter race. Early life He was born to Norwood Penrose H ...

but ahead of

NCAA champion The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Glenn Cunningham Glenn Cunningham may refer to: *Glenn Cunningham (athlete) (1909–1988), American runner, Olympic Games medalist * Glenn Cunningham (Nebraska politician) (1912–2003), American politician, mayor of Omaha, and congressman for Nebraska * Glenn Cunn ...

and American record holder Gene Venzke. He thus qualified for the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, where he placed 8th. Crowley continued his career after the Olympics and became US champion at

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

in 1934, winning in the meeting record time of 15:18.6. There is an annual Crowley Brothers 10k Road Race (names for the three brothers) in Rutland VT exists to promote cardiovascular fitness.

References

1909 births 1980 deaths People from Proctor, Vermont Track and field athletes from Vermont American male middle-distance runners American male long-distance runners Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Manhattan College alumni 20th-century American people {{US-middledistance-athletics-bio-stub