Lawrence Shields
American athlete
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Marion Lawrence Shields (March 5, 1895 – February 19, 1976) was an American middle-distance runner who specialized in the 1500 meters.[2] Around the time of the First World War he was a student at Mercersburg Academy and trained under the Scots American coach Jimmy Curran. Thereafter he attended Penn State. At the 1920 Summer Olympics he won a bronze medal in the 1500 m. He was also part of the gold medal-winning American team in the 3000 m race but he was not awarded a medal due to being one of the two weakest links of the team.[3][4] Four years later Shields attempted to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, but failed.[5]
Lawrence Shields in 1919 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | March 5, 1895 West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States | |||||||||||
| Died | February 19, 1976 (aged 80) | |||||||||||
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University | |||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) | |||||||||||
Spouse | Ruth Pike Noyes[1] | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
Event | 1500 m | |||||||||||
| Club | Meadowbrook Club, Philadelphia | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 1500 m – 4:03.0 (1920) Mile – 4:18.4 (1922) | |||||||||||
Medal record
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In 1923 Shields began a 37-year-long career at Phillips Andover Academy as a biology teacher, coach, alumni director and member of the board of trustees. Shields fought with the U.S. Navy in World War I and II, retiring in the rank of Commodore in the Pacific.[3]
