Vol. 2 No. 88 Ira Murchison Remembered

Western  Michigan University   Sprinter , Ira Murchison, remembered.

John Bork , NCAA 880 yards champion 1961 for Western Michigan University sent this to me.  It is part of a newsletter that circulates amongst former Western Michigan University friends and former athletes.  George Dales was the coach at Western Michigan in those days. ed.

                                                                       Ira Muchison
                                                                    B. February 6, 1933
                                                                    D. March 28, 1994

Bob Parks forwarded this to me; originally written by George Dales,  and asked me to forward it to those on my e-mail list. 

"Ira Murchison got a gold medal in the 4x100m relay in the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne, Australia, and also took 4th in the 100 meters. Ira was a good guy and a very good sprinter, although being very short. He had a lightning start. While I was at EMU he was associated with the U. of Chicago  track and field team and used to accompany them to a number of our meets. "

Murchison defeats Chicago Track Club Runners

Melbourne 100 Final Morrow wins, Murchison extreme right

                                                                       Truex ,  Rozavolgyi, and Murchison

USA 100-METERS SWEEP?

"No nation has swept the Olympic 100-meters medals. At the turn-of-the-20^th-century, at Paris  the USA seemed poised. US champion Arthur Duffey widely led Ivy Leaguers Frank Jarvis and J.W.B. Tewksbury, but tripped and fell in the shadows of trees down the course at the Bois de Boulogne. It was not until Melbourne  Western Michigan's Ira Murchison blasted out of the blocks and dug his way to a long lead flailing gobs of cinders in his wake. On the hastily constructed track, Murchison said his lane, at least, was not rolled. When Bobby Morrow of Abilene Christian surged to the front it was obvious he would ultimately win handily as an immortal can. Then Hec Hogan passed Murchison, and Thane Baker of Kansas State thrashed past the Aussie. The Olympiad was held in November and Murchison had gone to train with Coach George Dales up in Michigan. It snowed and snowed and his training was confined to the 40-yard Oakland Gym floor at Western Michigan. Murchison had defeated Morrow and Baker previously in June at US Trials, equaling World record 10.2, time also obtained at Compton three weeks prior. In August, at the CISM Games in Olympiastadion where Owens had set Olympic record 10.3 Murchison had become the first human to flash 10.1! He did so both in heat and semi-final [4 watches: 10.1] before succumbing in 10.2 [10.1 10.2 10.2] to Willie Williams in that one 10.1 World record performance."