Jimmy Curran | |
|---|---|
 Curran after winning the Border Mile Championship in 1903 | |
| Born | James Michael Curran (1880-01-07)January 7, 1880 Galashiels, Scotland |
| Died | February 7, 1963(1963-02-07) (aged 83) |
| Occupation | Athletics coach |
| Spouse | Janet |
| Children | 5 |
James Michael Curran (January 7, 1880 – February 7, 1963) was an athletics coach who trained and coached fiveOlympic gold medalists. From 1900-1902, he fought with theHighland Light Infantry in theSecond Boer War, serving much of that time under Major General SirHector MacDonald.
While based atPort Elizabeth after hostilities had ended, he discovered the sprinterWyndham Halswelle. After the war, Curran trained Halswelle, who went on to compete in the1906 Intercalated Games inAthens, and at the1908 Summer Olympics inLondon, winning silver and bronze medals at the former, and a controversial gold at the latter.[1]
On returning to Scotland Curran won the prestigiousHawick Border Mile Championship, competing as an amateur for the Gala Harriers.[2] In 1905 he became a professional, running under the name G. Gordon, and continued as such until emigrating to the United States in 1907.[3]
Curran arrived in the United States aboard theRMS Lusitania, on only its second voyage. The journey saw it win theBlue Riband for achieving the fastest westbound crossing of theAtlantic. Amongst those celebrating this achievement on board were the concert pianistMark Hambourg, and actor and comedianBransby Williams.[4] Curran continued to run professionally on arrival in the United States, including running as part of relay teams againstAlfie Shrubb. He was managed/promoted by a number of former athletes, most notably the former Olympic 100m finalistArthur Duffey. After losing his job as apuddler's assistant in the Reading Iron Works due to thePanic of 1907, he soon found work as arubber under theUniversity of Pennsylvania's legendary coachMike Murphy. He also worked alongsideGeorge Orton and Mike Dee. In 1910 Murphy proposed Curran as the track and field coach ofMercersburg Academy, aprep school in southern Pennsylvania.[5] In the summer months of the 1910s Curran would often accept outside work. He worked as coach ofJohn Wanamaker's progressive Meadowbrook Club inPhiladelphia, from 1914-c1920.[6] In 1913 a Canadian athletics coach,Walter Knox, offered him a job as one of the coaches of the British athletics team for the1916 Summer Olympics inBerlin. This employment fell through due to the onset of theFirst World War.[7]
Curran coached at Mercersburg Academy for 51 years. In that time he coached four more Olympic champions -Ted Meredith,Allen Woodring,Bill Carr, andCharles Moore.[8] In addition, he also trained a number of additional Mercersburg athletes who competed at various Olympics, most notablyHarry Goelitz,Barney Berlinger,Bill Cox,George Hester,Dewey Lee Yoder, andRolando Cruz, as well asLarry Shields andHarold Barron at the Meadowbrook Club. Notably, the two athletes he considered to be the finest he ever trained - Albert Robinson and Henry Thresher - never made it to the Olympic Games.Jimmy Stewart,Dick Foran, andJohn Payne, all notable actors, played minor roles in Curran's athletic teams, as did the sons of PresidentCalvin Coolidge,John and Calvin Jr. Stewart would send a telegram of condolence to the family upon Curran's death.[9]
In the late 1950s, he was celebrated at thePenn Relays inPhiladelphia for having attended 50 meets in a row, including three as rubber and assistant coach with theUniversity of Pennsylvania, and 47 as head coach withMercersburg Academy.[10]
Curran married Janet Mabon in 1907, and the couple had five children. Through his wife he was related to the Scottish runnerEric Liddell, and the American professional golferScott Hoch. He died of a heart attack on February 7, 1963.[8]