Athletic Pioneer. His invention of a new shot-putting technique, the "sideways glide", enabled him to set the world record four times. Raised in Chicago, he was a stand-out football player at Hyde Park High School; moving on to Yale University, he again played football, though leg injuries incurred in track limited his performance. Eventually relegated to the shot put and discus, he was unable to use the then-standard technique and was thus forced to develop his own; his sideways glide not only allowed him to perform but to better the records of the time. (Unusually, his training did not include weight lifting). Fuchs took Bronze for the United States in the 1948 London Olympiad, then between 1949 and 1950 set the world record four times, the last at 58' 10.75" in Visby, Sweden. (At the time of Mr. Fuchs' death the mark was over 75'). He took Gold for the United States at the 1951 Buenos Aires Pan American Games in both shot put and discus, then captured another Bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. A 1950 Yale graduate, he was for many years a successful business executive and in 1982 partnered with Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner to found the Silver Shield Foundation which continues to provide educational aid to the children of New York City Police Officers and Firemen killed in the line of duty. He died of multiple chronic health problems.
Athletic Pioneer. His invention of a new shot-putting technique, the "sideways glide", enabled him to set the world record four times. Raised in Chicago, he was a stand-out football player at Hyde Park High School; moving on to Yale University, he again played football, though leg injuries incurred in track limited his performance. Eventually relegated to the shot put and discus, he was unable to use the then-standard technique and was thus forced to develop his own; his sideways glide not only allowed him to perform but to better the records of the time. (Unusually, his training did not include weight lifting). Fuchs took Bronze for the United States in the 1948 London Olympiad, then between 1949 and 1950 set the world record four times, the last at 58' 10.75" in Visby, Sweden. (At the time of Mr. Fuchs' death the mark was over 75'). He took Gold for the United States at the 1951 Buenos Aires Pan American Games in both shot put and discus, then captured another Bronze in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. A 1950 Yale graduate, he was for many years a successful business executive and in 1982 partnered with Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner to found the Silver Shield Foundation which continues to provide educational aid to the children of New York City Police Officers and Firemen killed in the line of duty. He died of multiple chronic health problems.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
Family Members
Advertisement
