William McNear Rand (April 7, 1886 – October 5, 1981) was an American

track and field athlete Track and field is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of ...

and businessman. He competed at the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He was born in

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Watertown ...

and died in

Lincoln, Massachusetts Lincoln is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 7,014 according to the 2020 United States Census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits. The town, located in the MetroWest region o ...

. He graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Rand won his first-round heat of the 110 metre hurdles with a time of 15.8 seconds, breaking away from his competitors at the ninth hurdle. The ninth hurdle was again the place where Rand made his winning move in the second round, and he finished in 15.8 seconds there as well. This made him one of the four runners to advance to the final of the 110 metre hurdles. There, he finished fourth in a time of 16.0 seconds. Rand later became president of Monsanto Chemical Corporation, succeeded by

Charles Allen Thomas Charles Allen Thomas (February 15, 1900 – March 29, 1982) was a noted American chemist and businessman, and an important figure in the Manhattan Project. He held over 100 patents. A graduate of Transylvania College and Massachusetts Institute ...

in 1951. The same year, he was elected fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

.Book of Members / R
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References

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* 1886 births 1981 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics American male hurdlers Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Monsanto employees Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Harvard University alumni Harvard Crimson men's track and field athletes {{US-hurdles-athletics-bio-stub