C. Harmon Brown (c. 1930 – November 11, 2008) was an American

endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...

who was a pioneer in the field of

sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

. Brown's research studied the effects of rigorous exercise on women. Brown graduated from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

in 1952, where he had been the conference champion in

hurdling Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

on three occasions and had set two college records, in the 120-yard high hurdles and 220-yard low hurdles.Staff
"Longtime USATF contributor Dr. C. Harmon Brown dies"

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...

, November 13, 2008. Accessed November 18, 2008. He was awarded his medical degree in 1956 from

George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (abbreviated as GW Medical School or SMHS) is the professional medical school of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. SMHS is one of the most selective med ...

. He was chief of the medical service at the Veterans Administration hospital in

Livermore, California Livermore (formerly Livermorès, Livermore Ranch, and Nottingham) is a city in Alameda County, California. With a 2020 population of 87,955, Livermore is the most populous city in the Tri-Valley. It is located on the eastern edge of Californ ...

and director of university health services at

California State University, Hayward California State University, East Bay (Cal State East Bay, CSU East Bay, or CSUEB) is a public university in Hayward, California. The university is part of the 23-campus California State University system and offers 136 undergraduate and 60 post ...

.Martin, Douglas
"C. Harmon Brown, Pioneer Sports Doctor, Is Dead at 78"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', November 14, 2008. Accessed November 18, 2008. With female participation in scholastic sports increasing, Brown was quoted by ''Time'' magazine stating that many women may suffer sports injuries, but that "teachers are not equipped to show girls how to gradually improve their physical fitness and cut down on injuries".Staff
'The Weaker Sex? Hah!"
''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'', June 26, 1978. Accessed November 18, 2008. His research on women participating in athletics showed that different training techniques were needed by women, who he found were more loose-jointed and more susceptible to certain injuries, such as

dislocated shoulder A dislocated shoulder is a condition in which the head of the humerus is detached from the shoulder joint. Symptoms include shoulder pain and instability. Complications may include a Bankart lesion, Hill-Sachs lesion, rotator cuff tear, or inj ...

s. His works on the subject include the 1986 "The Menstrual Cycle and Physical Activity" and 1988's "Sport Science Perspectives for Women". Brown researched the use of

performance-enhancing drugs Performance-enhancing substances, also known as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. A well-known example of cheating in sports involves doping in sport, where bann ...

by athletes and served with the

International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body fo ...

and other organizations worldwide to develop anti-doping standards. He started working with the Ladies Professional Golf Association in January 2008 on protocols for testing professional golfers for drug use. Brown was a long-time college professor, spending four decades at the

University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California. It is part of the University of California system and is dedicated entirely to health science and life science. It con ...

. He coached athletes at all levels, including the international level, in

track and field athletics Track and field is a sport that includes 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 the jumping eve ...

events such as the

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by th ...

, the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the wom ...

, and the shot put. He was on the coaching staff of nine American international teams from 1967 to 1986, including United States teams at two Olympics and two Pan American Games. He was loved by students and athletes at California State University, Hayward. He was a positive influence for many student-athletes. He was kind and gentle as a coach and brought the best out in people. Brown died at age 78 on November 11, 2008 of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

. He had lived in San Mateo, California.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, C. Harmon 1930 births 2008 deaths Deaths from cancer in California George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences alumni Lafayette College alumni University of California, San Francisco faculty California State University, East Bay faculty