Harry E. Gissing (December 3, 1890 - November 29, 1963) was an American track and field athlete, a member of the New York Athletic Club, Mohawk Athletic Club, and the Irish American Athletic Club. In 1911, he was part of a world's record setting team in the 4x400 meter relay race.
In 1908, Gissing won the A.A.U half-mile championship with a time of 1 minute 56 and 4/5 seconds. He came in first place in the 1,000 yard National A.A.U indoor championship three years running, 1908, 1909 and 1910. In 1909 Gissing also won the 880 yard New York Metropolitan A.A.U championship, and came in second place in the 880 yard Senior National A.A.U championship. As the anchor of the New York Athletic Club relay team, on many occasions he "turned apparent defeat into victory." [1]
On April 9, 1911, Gissing was part of the Irish American Athletic Club 4x440 yard relay team that broke the world's record at Celtic Park, Queens, New York, and set the first IAAF- recognized world record for 4x440 yard or 4x400 meter relay race, with a time of 3 minutes and 18 4/5 seconds. [2] The other members of the world's record setting team were; James Rosenberger, Harry Schaaf and Mel Sheppard. [3]
Melvin Whinfield "Peerless Mel" Sheppard was an American athlete, member of the Irish American Athletic Club and winner of four gold medals and one silver medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics. Along with Henry Taylor of the United Kingdom, he was the most successful athlete at the 1908 Olympics.
William Arthur "Bill" Carr was an American athlete and double Olympic champion in 1932.
Charles James Bacon, Jr. was an American athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and the New York City Police Department. He won the 400 metres hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics.
Dennis Allen Mitchell is an American former college and international track and field athlete, who was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 4 x 100 meters relay race at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Robert "Bobbie" Cloughen was an American athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, and a member of the 1908 U.S. Olympic team. His father John was the fifth Manhattan Borough president in 1909 and also New York City's Commissioner of Public Works.
William Corbett "W. C." Robbins was an American athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club. He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1908 he was involved in a controversial race in the final of the Men's 400 metres and was later part of a team which broke the world's record for the one mile relay.
Abel Richard Kiviat was an American middle-distance runner. He was the oldest living American Olympic medalist at the time of his death. He competed for and coached the Irish American Athletic Club, and was later a member of the New York Athletic Club.
Frank Nicholas Riley was an American athlete, and member of the Irish American Athletic Club. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
Diane Lynn Dixon is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. She was born in Brooklyn, New York. She has an Olympic gold medal for running with the American 4x400 meters relay team at the 1984 Olympics, running in the preliminary rounds.
Silas Edward "Eddie" Southern is a retired American sprinter and hurdler who won a silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles at 1956 Olympics. He won another silver medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 1959 Pan American Games.
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York, at the beginning of the 20th century.
John Jacob Eller, Jr. was an American track and field athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and a member of the New York City Police Department from 1905 to 1942. Eller was a five-time Amateur Athletic Union champion in the 220 yard low hurdles between 1907 and 1912. He competed as a member of the U.S. Olympic team in the 1912 Summer Olympics. (John's brother Robert Eller was also an athlete, who competed for Fordham University and the Irish American Athletic Club.
James Maher Rosenberger was an American track and field athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club. He was born in New York City and died in Brooklyn, New York.
Henry "Harry" Schaaf was an American track and field athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, and a Police Officer in the New York City Police Department. He served as a patrolman from 1912 until his retirement in 1943.
Frank J. Shea was an American track and field athlete. While competing for the University of Pittsburgh, he won the 440-yard dash competition at the Amateur Athletic Union championships in 1917, 1919 and 1920 and at the 1918 IC4A meet. He also won the 440-yard dash at the first NCAA track and field championships in 1921 with a time of 49 seconds.
Gordon Edmund McKenzie was an American athlete who competed in the 10,000 meters at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and the marathon at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. McKenzie, running 2:28:18, finished second to Paavo Kotila in the 1960 Boston Marathon, an Olympic trials race. In 1961, he finished fourth at Boston, in 2:25:46.
Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers was an American sprinter and middle distance runner.
Lonnie Vernon "Lon" Spurrier was an American former middle-distance runner who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and set the world's record in the half-mile in 1955.
Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer. Having won 7 Olympic gold medals and 15 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer, she is considered one of the greatest female swimmers of all time. Ledecky is the world record holder in the women's 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle. She also holds the fastest-ever times in the women's 500-, 1000-, 1500-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.
Harry Kane is a British former Olympic hurdler. Born "Harry Cohen" to a Jewish family in England, he set British and Maccabiah Games records during his career.