 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lemuel Clarence Houser |
| Born | September 25, 1901 Winigan, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | October 1, 1994 (aged 93) Gardena, California, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0.5 in (184 cm) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Shot put,discus throw |
| Club | LAAC, Los Angeles |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | SP – 15.42 m (1926) DT – 48.20 m (1926)[1][2] |
Medal record | |
Lemuel Clarence "Bud"Houser (September 25, 1901 – October 1, 1994) was an Americanfield athlete.[3] He won Olympic gold medals in thediscus throw in 1924 and 1928 and in theshot put in 1924.[1]
Houser was born inWinigan, Missouri, but later moved toOxnard, California[4] to escape the drought after both his parents died in 1911. He was raised by his sister Martha and her husband Walter Conklin. He gained his strength working in the fields; during summers he would load hay bales in 110-degree heat inCorcoran, California.[5]
As a student atOxnard High School,[6] Houser participated in theCalifornia State Track Meets between 1920–22. His six wins inshot put anddiscus, each time breaking a state record, made him the most successful meet participant ever.[7] He was named "Athlete of the Meet" three years in a row.[8] During this time he developed a discus-throwing style of doing one and a half rapid turns in the circle before release that has been copied by many later athletes. He then enrolled at theUniversity of Southern California inLos Angeles, California.[9]
At the1924 Summer Olympics inParis, Houser won the gold medal in the shot put, ahead of fellow AmericansGlenn Hartranft andRalph Hills and in the discus, ahead of the FinnVilho Niittymaa and the AmericanThomas Lieb. This was the last time a male athlete has won both the shot put and discus in the Olympics.[1]
He won national championships in the discus in 1925, 1926, and 1928, and in the shot put in 1921 (while still in high school) and 1925. On April 3, 1926 inPalo Alto, in a USC dual meet withStanford, he set a world record with a discus throw of 48.20 m.[10]
At the1928 Summer Olympics inAmsterdam he was the flag bearer for the United States team. There he retained his title in the discus throw, again leading a Finn,Antero Kivi, and an AmericanJames Corson.
Houser became adentist to many movie stars with a practice inHollywood, California before moving toPalm Desert, California.[5] The stadium at Oxnard High School (the original location and now the new location) is named in his honor, the announcement a surprise at his graduation.[5] He is a member of theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame[11] and an inaugural member of the Ventura County Athletic Hall of Fame.[12]
| Olympic Games | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Flagbearer for United StatesAmsterdam 1928 | Succeeded by |
| Records | ||
| Preceded by | Men's Discus World Record Holder April 2, 1926 – March 9, 1929 | Succeeded by |
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