294 THE SOONER MAGAZINE Oklahoma's Mercury By Frank L. Dennis, '28, of the Kansas City Star

HO is the greatest all-around athlete in America todave I believe he is Tom Churchill, and the records bear out the bc- lief . the ( niversity of Pennsylvania April Promptly someone will suggest that ABOVE is a scene during the 26, showing left to right Everette E. Barney Berlinger of Pennsylvania is a 110 meter hurdle race in the Decath- Utterback of Pittsburgh, Tom Church- greater all-around athlete than Church- lon tit the Per Relay games held at ill and Alden Holsinger of Juanita college. Photo by International News- reel .

ill by virtue of his victory over Tom in the \pril 26 at the ]'emu relay s. But Berlinger's victory there (Churchill was a close second) merely shoved him to be a slightly better all- around track athlete, whereas Church- ill is an outstanding performer in two

.l GOOD WINNER .I GOOD I. OS Is A' Tout Churchill takes victory like u IIc takes defcal like a gentleman gent-leman.This has impressed sport a rit- ers like Alan Gould of the Associated Press about its much as Tout's versa-tility.Atleft he is seen shaking hands

with Barney Berlinger of the Univer-sit yofPennsylvaniawhonarrowly y

heat out Tom in I he decathlon. Churchill calls Berlinger his best friend and has flit, highest admiration for him. Photo by International Nezcsrecl

other major intercollegiate sports and is excepticnal in several others . \\'hat is the history of this remark-- athlete, this modern Olympian?

Well, story a saga of Tom's is strug-gle besttold by tracing it fromthe timehe was achubbysc hoolboy at Dalhart, Texas, grimly striving to win a place on the ward school, teams, past the climax of his selection to represent \merica in that most grueling com- petition, the decathlon, in the Olympic games, to the denouement, his present every-clay competition in intercollegi- ate athletics.

JUNE, for 1929 295

-Photo by International Newsreel . A, AMERICAN DISCOBOLUS: CHURCHILL IN 771E Tom. Churchill, Oklahoma's great Olympian, about to one of the strangest contrasts involving youth and aye, be- hurl the discus in the thirty-fifth Penn relays (it the Univer- tween Paavo Nurmi, middle-aged foot racer, and two sity of Pennsylvannia April 26. Churchill neon the discus brawny youths who are destined to be among America's by throwing it 125 feet two inches . The Associated Press greatest all-round athletes, Barney Berlinger of Pennsy- declared of Churchill and other athletes at the Penn Re- vania, and Tom Churchill of Oklahoma, both just at the lags : "Youth usually holds complete sway in the Pennsylva- voting age." Many sport writers have called Churchill nia relay carnival but this year's competition has developed America's greatest all-around athlete .

296 THE SOONER MAGAZINE

OM CHURCHILL was born kogee eleven and which tied an other- stead of something else and a Jay- T February 26, 1908, at Blair, wise all-victorious Norman team. hawker. His freshman year at Norman he Oklahoma, which makes him No one who saw Tom play in the suffered a broken leg while playing 21. Doing the chores and final game of the state high school tackle on the Boomer eleven, but re- chasing calves on his Uncle Tone's tournamerit that year, in covered in time to play center and ranch helped develop the legs that armory, at Norman, will forget the forward at basketball . His versatility have carried Tom to international it. It was a great duel between two was further shown that freshman fame-and fame is the word, for who great teams and between two great year when Tom, seeking to while is more glamorous in this day than players, Churchill at center for Cent- away the time, won both the 175- the great athlete, excepting Lind- Willingham at center for 1?1 ral and pound and heavyweight fraternity bergh? And Lindbergh is now won (it was Cent- Reno. El Reno wrestling titles and the all-university merely Anne Morrow's husband. defeat of the year) hut I ral's only boxing championship. Side issues, By the time Tom was a freshman Churchill and Willingham would say these contests, but indicative of that in high school at Dalhart, Texas he tied in their individual duel. At any had outgrown an earlier tendency superlative ability that called for rate, both were on the all-state team . Uncle selection of him, the toward roly-polyness. That year he Sam's As a preliminary to the track sea- broke into football fullback and next year for participation in the as son that spring, Churchill set six rec- into basketball as forward, making Olympics. ords in the city meet at Oklahoma the all-conference team in the latter I Believe the greatest test Tom City-discus, shot, pole vault, low football season sport, as a 14-year-old boy. As a sort ever had was in the hurdles, and broad jump. The broad ,year. Ad Lindsey, of chaser he high-jumped, pole-vault- his sophomore jump -,vas the best Tom ever made- puzzling ed and threw the discus for the track serving his first year, was 23 feet, 7 inches . combination. Tom team, breaking the high jump record out a successful state meet at Norman a end, tackle, guard and half- at the Panhandle meet at Goodwell, In the played one held punting, Oklahoma. bursted blood vessel in foot back, doing most of the and Tom attended Dalhart high the fall him to second place in the pole vault, winning an all-Missouri Valleyhon-orable mention. enter other of his second year and played foot- and he was unable to the he made up for it basketball that year he was for ball again, but moved to Oklahoma events . However, In all-victorious City during the winter, with his par- the following week at Stillwater by ward oil. that notable by himself to all-Valley forward if ents, and for the first time in his winning enough points team and was paired per- life had a coach. win the state title for his school. ever there was one . He great Bruce Drake. Roy S . Bennett of Central high All that spring he had been going fectly with the school coached the sturdy 15-year-old out for in addition to track, ORTUNATELY, Tom's soph- boy in basketball to a letter at for- and by dove-tailing the baseball and niore year was an Olympic ward. In the state track meet he track schedules at the tw-o state games year, and John Jacobs won second place in the discus. inects managed to help bitch Central drilled him rigorously in the Tom whiled the smirmer away play- to the final of one tournament and decathlon, ten wearying events. :1f- He ing baseball, making all-city catcher far along in the other. lost only ter winning the Kansas Relays de- in the junior league . two games that season . cathlon with over 7,300 points and Tom's parents being about as rest- During the summer preceding his taking third in the Penn Relays with less as their son, they moved to senior high school year Tom had won some 7,300, Tom set an unofficial Wichita. Kansas, early in his junior second in the state high spring hoard world's record in the decathlon in year and took him along. He played diving championship, so in an emer- Norman in a tryout, with 7,900 points regularly it end on the. football team. gency one night he was called on to -perfection in the ten events scores Now, Wichita always has good dive for the Central team in a dual 10;000. It is significant that 'Loin's basketball teams, so it was no small meet and lettered, thus winning five pest mark in the decathlon came a feat when Tom made forward on the letters in one year. a time when he was rested. I doubt court squad. His team won the state In four years of high school Tom that he has been rested since. scored fourth place in championship, with Tom making for- made 14 letters, was chosen best all- Anyway, he fifth place ward on the all-state second team, around athlete at both Wichita and the Olympic tryout and proper, with inorc and then went to Chicago to win the Central highs, won 58 medals and err the Olympics 7,419 points At Ghent, after the national interscholastic championship. several other trophies in addition to than . Amsterdam, Tom pick- drubbing a great El Reno, the admiring glances of girls and uni- Olympics at fur Oklaho-mateaminthefinalgame,andwith versity coaches, the latter group ed up a few medals and cups just Tom making all-American forward hoping to proselyte successfully. the fun of it. on several newspaper selections. To nil" knowledge the best marks Track was something of a dessert HE University of Kansas came To!u ever made in the decathlon for the Oklahoma boy that year. He near-damned near-getting were these : 1110 meters, 11 .2 seconds ; merely threw the discus and javelin Churchill's enrollment the fall broad jump, 21 feet. 8 inches ; high putting the shot. pole vaulting, high - of 1927. All his high school jump, 5 feet 8 1/2 inches ; shot Put 42 jumping' . and running on the mile coaches were K. U. men and wished feet ; 400 meters, 51 .3 seconds ; 110 relay team to assist Wichita to state hirer to go to Lawrence, which he meter high hurdles, 51 .6 seconds; and Kansas Relay championships. nearly did . discus throw, 131 feet ; pole vault, 11 Then he "got going," back in Okla- But Bill Haller and Mickey Mc- feet, 8 1/2 inches ; javelin throw, 168 homa City Central in his senior year. Bride proved as capable in strategy feet ; and 1 .500 meters run,, 4 minutes, He played tackle on the football as in Sooner athletics, so Tom be- 38 seconds. team, which lost only to a great Mus- came a Sigma Nu and a Sooner in- (Turn hi page 320, please)

320 THE SOONER MAGAZI NI

individual to arrive at some definite cultures, with the one exception of proved his Penn Relay decathlon convictions on these as on other mat- Egypt. Secondly, the struggle for rating to second. ters, holding his mind open so far as trade and for a field of investment or If there is any criticism that Tom possible to the reception of new truth. exploitation, which we now know lies is an individualist, this might be an But an elaborate creed is not a nec- at the bottom of imperialism. Com- antidote : he has played on football essity for effective co-operation in mercial rivalry, it is now generally per- teams in high school and college church work. A group united in the ceived, had much to do with preciptat- that won forty-two and lost but spirit of loyalty to the Founder of ing the world war ; and many students twelve games ; and on basketball Christianity can get on very well with- of international relations now believe teams that won 102 and lost but nine. out a further creed. It is the life that that imperialism is one of the most "Tams on which he has played have counts. If the Christian world could fertile sources of war. It was cer- won eight championships. have perceived this a long time ago, tainly directly or indirectly at the bot- Just to conclude his athletic record, the world might have been much farth- tom of most of the foreign wars in it is worth citing that lie once set er along on its intellectual pathway, which we have become involved, the an Oklalioma City bowling champ- and a lot of noble martyrs might have Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mex- ionship, that he is an excellent ten- died in their beds. ican War. And it is a condition which nis player, and that he even managed The church of the future, then, it will bear watching. Why were the to beat the writer at golf-once. seems to me, will be relatively a creed- marines lately sent to Nicaragua? It So much for Tom Churchill's ath- less church, laying stress on the culti- has been answered by some, to defend letic record to date. He has another vation of the spiritual life and treat- the interests of American capital, year in college. But to complete ing with indifference the wealth of this money invested by private citizens, the. story : he is six feet two inches world except as an instrument for hu- which should have been placed at their tall, and weighs 193 pounds when in man betterment. It will not cater to own risk. But through influence with best condition, although lately a the wealthy ; it will insist upon a con- the authorities they prevail upon the tendency to overweight has bothered dition of true democracy. It will re- government to back them up with him. gard an atmosphere of friendliness as gunboats and marines. And thus Tom is part English and Irish, and of more importance than upholstered arises friction, distrust, hatred, which is one-sixteenth Cherokee, being one pews. It will find ways and means of may easily breed war. of very few athletes of Indian blood bringing the gospel of hope and abund- The tendencies to which I have di- to represent America in the Olym ant life here on earth to those who rected our attention, fhe threatened pies. The Indian blood hasn't help- need it most. It will lay stress on disruption of the home, our distrust of ed him financially, either-he works purity and nobility of life here on science, the dearth of good teachers, his way through the university . And earth as the best training for whatever the decline of the influence of the his grades are about average-which may be in store for us on the other church, economic rivalry, and imper- means that they would oe higher if side. of the veil. ialism are not likely, if checked in his time were not divided between study and athletics. WALLY a word about our in- time, to result fatally. The good sense ~ our Tom will make a good captain of F ternational relations. A new and the awakened intelligence of the basketball team next year and conception of the brotherhood people, we may well hope, will pre- perhaps a captain of industry or busi- of man is spreading. The first vent our country from drifting into ness later on. He's no "dinnb ath- of the new Ten Commandments of another international situation like lete." Social justice promulgated ~by the fed- that of 1914. It is still true that right- eral council of churches runs thus : eousness exalteth a nation . It is equal- "I am the Lord thy God, but thou ly true and equally important that only shalt remember that I am also the God through intelligence shall the soul of of all the earth. I have no favorite a nation be saved. children. The Negro and the Hindu, SOONIE~ ~,U~NI the Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Mexican are all my beloved children ." The ninth commandment turns out Tom Churchill STS t,o be related : (Continued from page 290) "Thou shalt not bear false witness In this, his junior year in the uni- WIZEN Y O U R FRIENDS against thy neighbor by malicious versity, '.Pom's athletic record has ARE IIONOREI) WITH O. propaganda or colored news, or b-,- U. AWARDS calling him contemptuous names such been no less noteworthy than was the as Dago, Chink, jai), Wop, Nigger. or epic sophomore year. F L O W E R S Sheeny." He made all Big Six end and all- What are the causes of international Western end in football ; all-Big Six ARE THE APPROPRIATE GIFT dislike and distrust? This is not the forward in basketball and was high time or place for a full discussion of scorer in the conference, aided in Wire us your order these matters, but I want to lay stress the latter by his teammates, of course; on two : First, ignorance, and the dis- and I iroticed him given all-Ameri- trust born of ignorance. This is eau basketball rating in some selec- Toberman & Toberman markedly characteristic of primitive tion or other. This spring lie was peoples . Even the Greeks were not second in the septathlon in a Texas FLORISTS free from it : they called foreigners meet; successfully defended his Kan- hoi PHONE 332 barbaroi, `chatters' and declined to sas Relay decathlon title, proving his NORMAN take the trouble to learn their langu- courage there with a whirlwind fin- ages or borrow anything from, their ish to defeat the runner-up ; and im-