Al Hall (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Al Hall was an American
hammer throw
champion, who competed in the Olympics on four occasions.
Hall grew up on the family's farm in Hanson, Massachusetts
, where he built up his physique using a set of weights he had constructed from concrete cylinders.
Hall attended Whitman High School (now part of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
), where he was a running back on the school's football team and became an active participant on the track team during his senior year. Hall graduated from the school in 1952.
where he was the intercollegiate heptagonal track and field champion on three occasions. He set multiple meet records at major events and was captain of the 1955-56 Cornell team, winning recognition as Athlete of the Year that season by The Cornell Daily Sun
. He was also a member of the Quill and Dagger
society.
Hall finished in first place at the US Olympic Trials in 1956, and came in fourth place, just short of a medal, at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
. He finished first again at the 1960 US Olympic Trials and competed at the 1960 games
in Rome, finishing in 14th place. He was the Amateur Athletic Union
's national hammer champion in 1962 and 1963, and was part of the first American track and field teams to compete in the Soviet Union
in the late 1950s and China in 1974. He was part of the United States team at the 1964 Olympics
in Tokyo
, finishing in 12th place. He made the U.S. team for the fourth time in 1968 and finished 14th at the 1968 Summer Olympics
in Mexico City
. Hall fell inches short of making the U.S. team for the 1972 Olympics, despite a personal best throw of 222 feet, 8 inches at the Olympic trials and tried out as well for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team. He competed in the indoor weight throw
in both the 35-pound and 56-pound events and was national champion four times.
At the Pan American Games
, Hall won three gold medals, winning one in each of three consecutive decades. He won his first gold at the 1959 Pan American Games
in Chicago
, and repeated as champion at the 1963 Pan American Games
in São Paulo
, Brazil
. He did not participate in 1967, but came back to win his third gold at the 1971 Pan American Games
in Cali
, Colombia
, with a throw of 216 feet that set a Pan American Games record.
He met his wife, the former Lorraine Lorey, in Fort Lee, Virginia
, when Hall was a lieutenant in the United States Army
and she was a sergeant in the Women's Army Corps. The couple spent many years living in Charlton, Massachusetts
and moved to Tonopah, Nevada
in 2002. Their son, Shawn, was born in 1960 and currently resides in Tonopah.
Hall died at age 74 on October 9, 2008 in Tonopah of complications from Alzheimer's disease
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
champion, who competed in the Olympics on four occasions.
Hall grew up on the family's farm in Hanson, Massachusetts
Hanson, Massachusetts
Hanson is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,495 at the 2000 census.-History:Hanson was first settled in 1632 as the western parish of Pembroke. The town was officially incorporated in 1820, and was named for Maryland newspaper publisher and U.S. Senator...
, where he built up his physique using a set of weights he had constructed from concrete cylinders.
Hall attended Whitman High School (now part of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Whitman-Hanson Regional High School
Whitman-Hanson Regional High School is a public high school located in Whitman, Massachusetts. It is part of the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District....
), where he was a running back on the school's football team and became an active participant on the track team during his senior year. Hall graduated from the school in 1952.
Track and field competition
He attended Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where he was the intercollegiate heptagonal track and field champion on three occasions. He set multiple meet records at major events and was captain of the 1955-56 Cornell team, winning recognition as Athlete of the Year that season by The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. It is the oldest independent college daily in the United States....
. He was also a member of the Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent collegiate societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones of Yale University...
society.
Hall finished in first place at the US Olympic Trials in 1956, and came in fourth place, just short of a medal, at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. He finished first again at the 1960 US Olympic Trials and competed at the 1960 games
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in Rome, finishing in 14th place. He was the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
's national hammer champion in 1962 and 1963, and was part of the first American track and field teams to compete in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the late 1950s and China in 1974. He was part of the United States team at the 1964 Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, finishing in 12th place. He made the U.S. team for the fourth time in 1968 and finished 14th at the 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Hall fell inches short of making the U.S. team for the 1972 Olympics, despite a personal best throw of 222 feet, 8 inches at the Olympic trials and tried out as well for the 1976 U.S. Olympic team. He competed in the indoor weight throw
Weight throw
The weight throw is a track and field event that is held at Scottish Highland games and occasionally at indoor track meets.In the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight ...
in both the 35-pound and 56-pound events and was national champion four times.
At the Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, Hall won three gold medals, winning one in each of three consecutive decades. He won his first gold at the 1959 Pan American Games
1959 Pan American Games
The 3rd Pan American Games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90°F heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The first Pan American Games held in North America, they were originally scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, but the U.S. Congress’s decision to cut $5,000,000 in federal...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and repeated as champion at the 1963 Pan American Games
1963 Pan American Games
The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.- Medal count :To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.Note...
in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. He did not participate in 1967, but came back to win his third gold at the 1971 Pan American Games
1971 Pan American Games
The 6th Pan American Games were held in Cali, Colombia, from July 30 to August 13, 1971. The then called "Salsa World Capital", located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, hosted a total of 2,935 athletes from 32 countries, who participated in seventeen sports...
in Cali
Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali , simply referred to as Cali, is a city in western Colombia and the capital of the Valle del Cauca Department. With a population of 2.5 million, Cali is the third largest city in the country. It has one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure in the country because...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, with a throw of 216 feet that set a Pan American Games record.
Personal
In 2004, the Whitman VFW Post 697 established the Albert W. Hall Award, a cherry wood trophy with an Olympian on top, which is presented each year to a male and female student-athlete at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School who exemplifies the qualities of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. His great nephew, Jacob Ellis Hart, was awarded this honor in 2006.He met his wife, the former Lorraine Lorey, in Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee, Virginia
Fort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...
, when Hall was a lieutenant in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and she was a sergeant in the Women's Army Corps. The couple spent many years living in Charlton, Massachusetts
Charlton, Massachusetts
Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all...
and moved to Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
in 2002. Their son, Shawn, was born in 1960 and currently resides in Tonopah.
Hall died at age 74 on October 9, 2008 in Tonopah of complications from Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.