James Davies Lightbody – Muncie 1900

Born in 1882 in Pittsburgh, Pa., James Davies Lightbody relocated with his family in Muncie, Ind. As a youth and became an outstanding distance. He placed second in the mile in the 1900 Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Association track and field championships. He then matriculated to DePauw University, where he earned the nickname, “Deerfoot”.

Lightbody’s dominance on the cinders attracted the attention of Amos Alonzo Stagg, the legendary coach at the University of Chicago. Stagg tried to convince Lightbody to transfer to the UC and promising him that, of he did so, he would become an Olympic champion. Lightbody was reluctant to make the move because he felt that he could not meet the tough academic standards for which UC was known. Stagg assured the Muncie athlete that he would make sure he stayed eligible.

James transferred and Stagg kept his promise to make him an Olympic champion. In 1904 at St. Louis, Lightbody won gold in the 800-meter run, 1500-meter run and the 2590-meter, mismeasured, steeplechase and established new Olympic standards in the 800 (1:56.0) and 1500 (4:05.4). He also won a silver medal in the 4 x one mile relay. In 1905, he won the Western Conference (Big Ten) title in the 800-meter run in 1:57.4 and the mile in 4:24.0.

At Athens in 1906, James repeated as Olympic champion in the 1500-meter run a strategically slow 4L12.0 and added a silver medal in the 800-meter run. After the Olympics, he returned to the University of Chicago, playing football and graduated.

Lightbody again was selected to represent the U.S. in the 1908 Olympics in London but, while roughhousing, was pushed into a steam pipe and severely burned. He was unable to match his earlier accomplishments. After the Olympics, James toured Europe and gave exhibition races. He then moved to Germany, to work for the Associated Press and enrolled at the University of Berlin, where he organized the first Germany athletic meets. The Berlib Sport Club presented his with the Golden Eagle, the highest honor of its kind and the first ever given to a foreigner.

Lightbody resided in the Chicago area for much of his life but died March 2, 1953 in Charleston, S.C.

IIAA State Meet: (Indiana State High School Championships)
1900 2nd Mile

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