Robert Fowler (athlete)

Fowler was born in Trinity, Newfoundland to Capt. Patrick Joseph Fowlow Sr. and Mary Anne Connolly, the youngest of seven. His father was the captain of the ill-fated SS Lion, who lost his life on January 6, 1882, before Robert was born. Robert, along with his brothers attended Saint Bonaventure's College in St. John's.^[2] He emigrated with his family to Boston, sailing from Port aux Basques in June 1901, and was living at 76 Berkshire Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts at the time of the 1904 Olympic games.^[2] Fowler is the first Newfoundland-born Olympic marathoner ^[10] and, as he did not become a US citizen until September 16, 1907, is considered by some to be the first Newfoundland Olympian.^{[nb 3]}

Fowler competed for the United States in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri as well as the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece.^[2] He did not finish either race.^{[nb 4]} Including the 1906 Games, Fowler was a three-time member of the United States Olympic Marathon Team.^[11][12]

Fowler finished third in the 1905 Boston Marathon behind Fred Lorz and Louis Marks.^[13] Two years later in Boston, he finished second to Thomas Longboat in a race in which he was blocked by a freight train in Framingham, Massachusetts for approximately two minutes.^[14] Fowler was in a second pack of runners that was separated from Longboat's lead pack when the train crossed the tracks.^[14] He competed in a total of nine Boston Marathons between 1903 and 1912, missing the 1906 running because it conflicted with the Olympic Games.^[15]

Fowler helped train athletes at Harvard University for several years during his running career. In 1913, he became the track coach at the Volkmann School.^[16] Accepting a paid coaching position meant that Fowler was no longer an amateur athlete and ended his running career.^[17] In 1914, he was the coach of the cross country team at Princeton University.^[18] From 1914 to 1915, he was the supervisor of athletics in the Manchester, New Hampshire playgrounds department. In 1916, he was hired to coach the track and ice hockey teams at Boston College.^[19]

In 1918, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Air Service, Sanitary Corps, National Army.^[17]

In 1921, Fowler became the trainer for the Williams College football team. The following year, he coached the school's swim team.^[20] In 1922, he became an athletic instructor for the Brazilian Navy.^[21] He returned to the United States in 1935 and became the director of playgrounds and recreation for Medford, Massachusetts.^[22][23]

• Ronald J. MacDonald