John Halstead, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJohn Halstead
American athlete
Date of Birth: 15-Aug-1886
Date of Death: 15-Nov-1951
Profession: athletics competitor
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Leo 
About John Halstead
- John Preston Halstead (August 15, 1886 - November 15, 1951) was an American athlete.
- At the Olympic trials held at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, in June 1908, he established the North American record for the 1500 meters of 4:01.2, besting the then Olympic record of 4:05.4.
- At the summer Olympics held in London in July 1908, owing to the English system of a blind draw for the preliminary heats, he was paired in the 2nd heat with America's other best miler, Mel Sheppard.
- Nauseated by an upset stomach just before the heat, Halstead was unable to produce his customary final sprint and lost the heat by a yard to Sheppard in a time of 4:05, thus disqualifying him for the finals.
- Sheppard went on to win the gold in a time of 4:03.4.
- Halstead upheld the American team's reputation for good sportsmanship by never uttering a word of complaint about the English system of a blind draw.
- In the 800 metres, held a week later, Halstead won his first round heat with a time of 2:01.4.
- He then placed sixth in the final. He graduated from Cornell University the same year with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
- During the latter part of 1908 and 1909 he was one of the engineers who worked on the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station in New York City.
- He held the rank of Major in World War I and served as Commanding Officer of the Field Training Battalion at the Field Artillery Officers' Central Training School, Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, KY.
- He was married on August 17, 1922 to Frances Lewis Underwood, at Hutchinson, Kansas.
- He died on November 15, 1951 in Buffalo, New York.
- His ashes are buried in the Rome (NY) Cemetery.
Read more at Wikipedia