 Hare in 1904 | |
| Penn Quakers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1878-10-12)October 12, 1878 Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | February 2, 1956(1956-02-02) (aged 77) Radnor, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 198 lb (90 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | Penn (1897–1900) |
| High school | St. Mark's (Southborough, Massachusetts) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame(1951) | |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing United States | ||
| Men'sathletics | ||
Representingthe United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 | 1900 Paris | Hammer throw |
 | 1904 St Louis | All-around |
Thomas Truxtun Hare (October 12, 1878 – February 2, 1956) was an American Olympic medalist who competed intrack and field and thehammer throw.[1][2] He also played football with theUniversity of Pennsylvania and was selected first-team All-American all four years.[2]Sports Illustrated wrote, "Few early 20th Century players were as revered as Hare, who played every minute of every game."[3] He was selected as a charter member of theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1951.[2]
Hare was born inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.[2][4] He was the son of Emily Power (née Beale) and Horace Binney Hare, a successful attorney.[5] He came from a long line of lawyers.[6] He attendedSt. Mark's School inSouthborough, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1897.[2][4][5] There, he started in baseball, football, and track.[5]
In the fall of 1897, Hare enrolled in theUniversity of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in 1901.[4] There, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall), the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Sons of Rest, and theSphinx Senior Society.[2] He performed in plays withMask and Wig, was vice president of the Cercle Francais and an assistant manager of the Musical Clubs.[2] He was freshman class president and was elected as the Spoon Man his senior year.[5][2]
At the University of Pennsylvania, Hare played on the varsity cricket team and the varsity track team, competing in jumper, runner, and weight thrower.[2][5] The track team won their collegiate championships during his time.[5] He also played on thePenn Quakers football team from 1897 to 1900 and served as team captain in his junior and senior years.[2] He also played "every minute of every game for four years," helping his team win 32 consecutive games.[7][4] He is one of only a handful of men to earn first-teamAll-American honors during all four years of college.[2][7] While primarily aguard, he also called signals, kicked off, punted, ran, and drop-kickedextra points.[7]Walter Camp said he could have been an All-American in any position.[7][5]
He then enrolled in theUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating with a law degree in 1903.[2][4]
He won the silver medal in thehammer throw in the1900 Summer Olympics held inParis, as well as placing eighth in the shot put and competing without making a legal mark in the discus throw.[2][1]
He competed for the United States in the1904 Summer Olympics held inSt. Louis, Missouri, in the all-rounder which consisted of ten events: 100 yd run, shot put, high jump, 880 yd walk, hammer throw, pole vault, 120 yd hurdles, 56 lb weight throw, long jump, and 1-mile run, where he won the bronze medal.[1][5]
After graduating from law school, he practiced corporate law inPhiladelphia.[2] In 1913, he became an assistant solicitor for theUnited Gas Improvement Company, retaining this position until 1943.[2][4][5]
He became the managing director and board member ofBryn Mawr Hospital in 1943.[2][4][5] He replaced his brother,C. Willing Hare, who had died on December 6, 1942.[4] In 1946, he was named president of the hospital.[4] In this capacity, he oversaw the addition of a six-story wing, a $2.8 million project.[4]
Hare also served as a director of thePhiladelphia Contributionship for the Insurance Houses from Loss.[4]
Starting in 1908, he authored two series of books for boys.[2][5] His first series followed a journey from college football to coaching.[5] The second series, followed the same character through prep school.[8] He also published poetry books.[2]
He married Katherine Sargent Smith, aPhiladelphia socialite, in 1906.[4][6][5] They had four children: Truxtun Jr., Tristan, Robert, Martha and Mrs. Frederic McLaughlin.[4] They lived inRadnor, Pennsylvania, on a sixty-acre farm known as Limehouse.[4][18][5]
During the 1930s, Hare chaired the University of Pennsylvania Athletic Advisory Board.[5] He was also a member of the University of Pennsylvania Scholarship Committee.[5] He was a vestryman and senior warden at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Radnor.[2][4]
He was president of theUnited Bowmen of America and a member of theMerian Cricket Club, thePhiladelphia Club, theRacquet Club of Philadelphia, the St. Anthony Club of Philadelphia, and theUniversity Barge Club.[2][4][6] He was also a member of theAuthors' League of America and thePegasus Club.[2] He was the founding president of the Business Men's Art Club in 1927, and his paintings and pottery was shown in exhibitions with theArt Club of Philadelphia.[2][6]
In 1956, he died at his home on Weadley Road in Radnor at the age of 77 years.[4]
