William Christopher Prout (December 24, 1886 – August 4, 1927) was an American athlete. He competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in

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and was president of the American Olympic Committee. He was also the tenth state deputy of the Massachusetts Knights of Columbus from 1921 to 1924. He stood for election to become the District Attorney of Suffolk County, Massachusetts in 1926, but lost.

Early life

He was born in the West End of Boston, Massachusetts on December 24, 1886. He was frail as a child. He attended Boston Latin School and English High School in Andover, Massachusetts, and then Brown University and

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

where he was president of his class. He is in the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Athletics

Prout won his preliminary heat of the 400 metres at the 1908 Summer Olympics with a time of 50.4 seconds. He advanced to the semifinals, where he was eliminated following a fourth and last place finish in his semifinal heat. He was elected president of the American Athletic Union in 1921. Prout founded the Boston Irish-American Athletic Association. From 1926 until his death, he was president of the American Olympic Committee.

Knights of Columbus

Prout served as the tenth state deputy of the Massachusetts

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

from 1921 to 1924. He was also a Supreme Director from 1922 to 1927. As a knight, he sponsored the resolution that led to the creation of the Columbian Squires. For his service to the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

he was made a knight of the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

in 1924.

References

Works cited

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Prout, William Christopher Boston University people 1886 births 1927 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States American male sprinters Boston University alumni Brown University alumni Boston Latin School alumni Presidents of the United States Olympic Committee People from the West End, Boston