John Garrels
Encyclopedia
John Garrels was an American
athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles
, discus throw
, shot put
, and as a fullback
and end in American football
.
Garrels won the silver medal
in the men's 110 metres hurdles and a bronze medal in the shot put at the 1908 Summer Olympics
in London
. On at least four occasions, he broke world's records in the discus throw and 110 metres hurdles, though the Amateur Athletic Union
declined to recognize the record on each occasion. He was also a starting left end and fullback for the 1904
, 1905
, and 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
s.
In 1911, the famed trainer and U.S. Olympic track and field coach Mike Murphy
rated Garrels as one of the four athletes in the preceding 30 years "who towered head and shoulders above any other athletes of their time." In 1932, Keene Fitzpatrick
, who trained multiple Olympic gold medalists, called Garrels the best all-around athlete he ever handled.
After retiring from athletics, Garrels worked as a chemical engineer. He was a technical director at Wyandotte Chemical Company for 27 years. He died in 1956 at Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
.
in 1885. His father was a printer. He attended Central High School
in Detroit, Michigan
, serving as class president.
In March 1903, Garrels won the all-round indoor championship of the YMCA at a meet held in Detroit. At age 17, Garrels scored 21 points at the meet with first place finishes in the fence vault (6 feet, 9 inches), running high kick (9 feet), hop, step and jump (27 feet, 5 inches), and second place finishes in the shot put and running high jump.
in 1903 and received a degree in chemical engineering in 1907. While attending Michigan, Garrels became one of the most accomplished athletes in the university's history. He excelled as a member of Michigan's football teams from 1904 to 1906 and as a member of its track and field team from 1904 to 1907. He was also a member of the Tau Beta Pi
fraternity and the Michigamua and Vulcan societies at Michigan.
In April 1905, while competing at a meet in Philadelphia, Garrels threw the discus a distance of 135 feet and one-half inch, which exceeded the established world record of 128 feet, 10-1/2 inches. However, AAU officials ruled that the discus used by Garrels "did not comply strictly with AAU regulations." (The discus used by Garrels had an aluminum rim, but complied with the regulations in all other respects.) Two months later, when Garrels competed at the Western Conference
track meet in Chicago, he took care to ensure that the discus he used complied with all regulations in the opinion of the officials present at the meet. At that meet, Garrels threw the discus 140 feet, 2-3/8 inches, shattering the old world record by nearly 12 feet. Officials at the meet listed the toss as a new world record, but AAU officials again rejected the record, contending that "the discus used was not constructed on the official lines laid down by the A.A.U." The Detroit Free Press
wrote that the AAU was a "discredited" organization and led its coverage of the ruling with a headline declaring, "GARRELS AGAIN ROBBED OF HONORS, A.A.U. REFUSING WORLD'S RECORD."
At the Western Conference meet in June 1906, Garrels won 18 points -- "more than any whole college team outside of Michigan and Chicago." At the 1906 conference meet, Garrels equaled the world's record in the 120-yard hurdles, but AAU officials ruled that his time would not qualify for the world record, as he had displaced two hurdles during the race. Under the AAU rules in effect at the time, all hurdles must be standing at the end of the race. Garrels' time did qualify, however, as a new Western Conference record. Following the 1906 conference meet, Garrels was elected captain of the 1907 track team.
At the 1907 Eastern Intercollegiate meet in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, Garrels scored 13 points by winning the high hurdles in world record time (15-1/5 seconds), and also winning the low hurdles (24 seconds) and placing second in the shot put (45 feet, 2 inches). His point total was the highest of any athlete at the meet. However, the executive committee of the AAU later ruled that the mark would not qualify as a world record, because the wind was at his back. The Detroit Free Press noted, "For a world-beater, Garrels has been unlucky in official recognition."
In 1932, long-time Michigan and Princeton track coach Keene Fitzpatrick
, who trained multiple Olympic gold medalists, called Garrels the best all-around athlete he ever handled.
teams from 1904 to 1906.
As a sophomore, Garrels was the starting left end in six of ten games for the undefeated 1904 "Point-a-Minute" team
that outscored its opponents 567–22.
As a junior, Garrels started all 13 games as the left end for the 1905 "Point-a-Minute" team
that outscored opponents 495–2. Garrels was the third leading scorer on the 1905 team (behind Tom Hammond and Joe Curtis) with seven touchdowns and eight extra point kicks for a total of 43 points. Michigan's sole setback in 1905 was a 2–0 loss to the University of Chicago team. Garrels had the longest run of the game, a 35-yard run around Chicago's left end. Garrels was stopped by Chicago All-American Walter Eckersall
. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "Had there been interference near enough to brush off Eckersall, Michigan would have scored an easy touchdown and victory." At the end of the 1905 season, the Detroit Free Press rated him as the "Star of Yost's Grid Warriors," adding, "If there was a man who stood out prominently, it was Johnnie Garrels."
As a senior, Garrels was moved to the fullback
position, starting all six games at the position for the 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
that finished the season with a record of 4–1. Michigan easily won its first three games in 1906 against Case (28–0), Ohio State (6–0) and Illinois (28–9). The game against Case marked the first game at Ferry Field
, and Garrels scored the Wolverines' first touchdown in the new stadium. He also returned the opening kickoff 95 yards against Illinois.
In the fourth game of the 1906 season, Michigan narrowly defeated Vanderbilt by a score of 10–4. Garrels accounted for nine of Michigan's ten points with a field goal from the 25-yard line in the first half and a touchdown run that has been reported as either 65 or 75 yards on a fake punt in the second half. Following the Vanderbilt game, The Pittsburg Press wrote:
In his final game for Michigan's football team, the Wolverines lost 17-0 to Penn. The Wolverines had lost their captain, Joe Curtis, the week before the Penn game. With Curtis out of the lineup, Penn's efforts were concentrated on Garrels, and "his every attempt at an end run or a fake kick" were stopped. Despite the loss, Garrels was credited with playing a "star game," as the Detroit Free Press observed, "The sum and substance of the failure of Garrels to do much today was the great playing of Pennsylvania's ends and the almost total lack of interference by the Michigan halfbacks for him."
.
In May 1908, as the Olympic trials approached, sports reporter H.V. Valentine wrote, "No figure in the world of athletics is attracting more attention these days than that of John G. [sic] Garrles, the great all around athlete of the University of Michigan." Another reporter noted, "Garrels is undoubtedly the best all around man the middle west has ever produced. He can hurdle, jump and toss the weights and is sure to gather points for America in the many events in which he can make a strong showing." The Pittsburg Press called Garrels "one of the greatest athletes ever developed in the history of manly sports in America." Even Martin Sheridan
(a five-time Olympic gold medalist) opined, "He's the greatest all-around athlete in our country -- that's what I think of him. Some day I hope to meet him, and, win or lose, that will be the greatest day of my life."
In early June 1908, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced its selections to compete in the 1908 summer games in London. Garrels was selected to compete for the United States in the 110-meter hurdles, discus, Greek discus and shot put.
In late June 1908, days before sailing for London, Garrels competed at the AAU meet in Pittsburgh
. Garrels took first place in the 110-meter hurdles (15-3/5 seconds), the discus throw (132 feet, 8 inches) and the shot put (42 feet, 10 inches). He also finished in second place in the 100-meter race.
On June 27, 1908, Garrels set sail from New York to London aboard the Philadelphia as part of the 78-member American track team led by the famed trainer and coach Mike Murphy
.
Garrels was selected to carry the American flag at the opening ceremonies in London. On July 13, 1908, he led the American delegation into the Olympic stadium at Shepherd's Bush
before King Edward VII
and Queen Alexandria
.
Garrels began his Olympic competition with the shot put
competition on July 16, 1908. He finished third in the event, as fellow American (and former University of Michigan athlete) Ralph Rose
took the gold medal. The discus throw was held on the same day, and Garrels failed to finish among the leaders. Fellow American Martin Sheridan took the gold medal in the event. On July 18, 1908, Garrels also competed in the Greek discus, and again he did not place among the leaders. Competing in his fourth event, Garrels took the silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing second behind fellow American Forrest Smithson
who set a new world record with a time of 15.0 seconds. Following Smithson's surprise victory over Garrels, one press account noted:
Upon their return from London, Garrels and other members of the American Olympic team were the guests of President Theodore Roosevelt
at Oyster Bay
.
In 1911, Mike Murphy was asked to rank the best athletes he had seen in his 30 years working with track and field athletes. Murphy rated Garrels as one of the four athletes (along with Lon Myers
, Harry Jewett and Alvin Kraenzlein
) "who towered head and shoulders above any other athletes of their time."
Garrels was married to Margaret Anne Garrels. They resided in Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
, where they raised three children. Their son Robert Garrels
(1916-1988) was a noted geochemist.
In 2009, Garrels was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete who excelled in the 110 metres hurdles
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
, discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, and as a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and end in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
.
Garrels won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the men's 110 metres hurdles and a bronze medal in the shot put at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On at least four occasions, he broke world's records in the discus throw and 110 metres hurdles, though 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...
declined to recognize the record on each occasion. He was also a starting left end and fullback for the 1904
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
, 1905
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
, and 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1906 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:...
s.
In 1911, the famed trainer and U.S. Olympic track and field coach Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy (trainer and coach)
Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy was an athletic trainer and coach at Yale University , the Detroit Athletic Club , the University of Michigan , the University of Pennsylvania , and the New York Athletic Club...
rated Garrels as one of the four athletes in the preceding 30 years "who towered head and shoulders above any other athletes of their time." In 1932, Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
, who trained multiple Olympic gold medalists, called Garrels the best all-around athlete he ever handled.
After retiring from athletics, Garrels worked as a chemical engineer. He was a technical director at Wyandotte Chemical Company for 27 years. He died in 1956 at Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township is a general law township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is situated on several islands in the Detroit River, but the largest island is also referred to as simply Grosse Ile. The name comes from French Grosse Île, meaning "Big Island"...
.
Early years
Garrels was born in Bay City, MichiganBay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
in 1885. His father was a printer. He attended Central High School
Central High School (Detroit, Michigan)
Central High School is the oldest secondary school in Detroit, Michigan; it is staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools.-History:In 1858, Detroit's first high school opened on Miami Avenue. By 1863, due to increased enrollment, the school was moved to a building that had formerly housed...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, serving as class president.
In March 1903, Garrels won the all-round indoor championship of the YMCA at a meet held in Detroit. At age 17, Garrels scored 21 points at the meet with first place finishes in the fence vault (6 feet, 9 inches), running high kick (9 feet), hop, step and jump (27 feet, 5 inches), and second place finishes in the shot put and running high jump.
University of Michigan
Garrels enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1903 and received a degree in chemical engineering in 1907. While attending Michigan, Garrels became one of the most accomplished athletes in the university's history. He excelled as a member of Michigan's football teams from 1904 to 1906 and as a member of its track and field team from 1904 to 1907. He was also a member of the Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
fraternity and the Michigamua and Vulcan societies at Michigan.
Track and field
In April 1904, Garrels, while still a freshman, demonstrated his ability by throwing the discus "around 118 and 119 feet" -- a distance that would have won the event at the prior week's Philadelphia meet. Garrels announced at the time that he intended to make a specialty of the discus throw.In April 1905, while competing at a meet in Philadelphia, Garrels threw the discus a distance of 135 feet and one-half inch, which exceeded the established world record of 128 feet, 10-1/2 inches. However, AAU officials ruled that the discus used by Garrels "did not comply strictly with AAU regulations." (The discus used by Garrels had an aluminum rim, but complied with the regulations in all other respects.) Two months later, when Garrels competed at the Western Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
track meet in Chicago, he took care to ensure that the discus he used complied with all regulations in the opinion of the officials present at the meet. At that meet, Garrels threw the discus 140 feet, 2-3/8 inches, shattering the old world record by nearly 12 feet. Officials at the meet listed the toss as a new world record, but AAU officials again rejected the record, contending that "the discus used was not constructed on the official lines laid down by the A.A.U." The Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
wrote that the AAU was a "discredited" organization and led its coverage of the ruling with a headline declaring, "GARRELS AGAIN ROBBED OF HONORS, A.A.U. REFUSING WORLD'S RECORD."
At the Western Conference meet in June 1906, Garrels won 18 points -- "more than any whole college team outside of Michigan and Chicago." At the 1906 conference meet, Garrels equaled the world's record in the 120-yard hurdles, but AAU officials ruled that his time would not qualify for the world record, as he had displaced two hurdles during the race. Under the AAU rules in effect at the time, all hurdles must be standing at the end of the race. Garrels' time did qualify, however, as a new Western Conference record. Following the 1906 conference meet, Garrels was elected captain of the 1907 track team.
At the 1907 Eastern Intercollegiate meet in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Garrels scored 13 points by winning the high hurdles in world record time (15-1/5 seconds), and also winning the low hurdles (24 seconds) and placing second in the shot put (45 feet, 2 inches). His point total was the highest of any athlete at the meet. However, the executive committee of the AAU later ruled that the mark would not qualify as a world record, because the wind was at his back. The Detroit Free Press noted, "For a world-beater, Garrels has been unlucky in official recognition."
In 1932, long-time Michigan and Princeton track coach Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick
Keene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
, who trained multiple Olympic gold medalists, called Garrels the best all-around athlete he ever handled.
Football
Garrels also played for Fielding H. Yost's Michigan Wolverines footballMichigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
teams from 1904 to 1906.
As a sophomore, Garrels was the starting left end in six of ten games for the undefeated 1904 "Point-a-Minute" team
1904 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1904 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1904 college football season. In the team's fourth season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a perfect 10–0 record and outscored opponents 567–22. The 1904 team was the fourth of Yost's...
that outscored its opponents 567–22.
As a junior, Garrels started all 13 games as the left end for the 1905 "Point-a-Minute" team
1905 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1905 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1905 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Regents Field...
that outscored opponents 495–2. Garrels was the third leading scorer on the 1905 team (behind Tom Hammond and Joe Curtis) with seven touchdowns and eight extra point kicks for a total of 43 points. Michigan's sole setback in 1905 was a 2–0 loss to the University of Chicago team. Garrels had the longest run of the game, a 35-yard run around Chicago's left end. Garrels was stopped by Chicago All-American Walter Eckersall
Walter Eckersall
Walter "Eckie" Eckersall was an American football player, official, and sportswriter for the Chicago Tribune. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.-Early life:...
. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "Had there been interference near enough to brush off Eckersall, Michigan would have scored an easy touchdown and victory." At the end of the 1905 season, the Detroit Free Press rated him as the "Star of Yost's Grid Warriors," adding, "If there was a man who stood out prominently, it was Johnnie Garrels."
As a senior, Garrels was moved to the fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
position, starting all six games at the position for the 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
1906 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1906 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1906 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:...
that finished the season with a record of 4–1. Michigan easily won its first three games in 1906 against Case (28–0), Ohio State (6–0) and Illinois (28–9). The game against Case marked the first game at Ferry Field
Ferry Field
Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000....
, and Garrels scored the Wolverines' first touchdown in the new stadium. He also returned the opening kickoff 95 yards against Illinois.
In the fourth game of the 1906 season, Michigan narrowly defeated Vanderbilt by a score of 10–4. Garrels accounted for nine of Michigan's ten points with a field goal from the 25-yard line in the first half and a touchdown run that has been reported as either 65 or 75 yards on a fake punt in the second half. Following the Vanderbilt game, The Pittsburg Press wrote:
"Garrels is the best fullback in the West, and probably has no equal in the country. Weighing 200 pounds, he is a wonderfully speedy runner, capable of covering the 100 yards in 10 seconds. He is a fine punter, place and drop kicker, tackles well, and is a great line plunger."
In his final game for Michigan's football team, the Wolverines lost 17-0 to Penn. The Wolverines had lost their captain, Joe Curtis, the week before the Penn game. With Curtis out of the lineup, Penn's efforts were concentrated on Garrels, and "his every attempt at an end run or a fake kick" were stopped. Despite the loss, Garrels was credited with playing a "star game," as the Detroit Free Press observed, "The sum and substance of the failure of Garrels to do much today was the great playing of Pennsylvania's ends and the almost total lack of interference by the Michigan halfbacks for him."
1908 Summer Olympics
After graduating from Michigan in 1907, Garrels trained with the Chicago Athletic Association in preparation for the 1908 Summer Olympics1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
.
In May 1908, as the Olympic trials approached, sports reporter H.V. Valentine wrote, "No figure in the world of athletics is attracting more attention these days than that of John G. [sic] Garrles, the great all around athlete of the University of Michigan." Another reporter noted, "Garrels is undoubtedly the best all around man the middle west has ever produced. He can hurdle, jump and toss the weights and is sure to gather points for America in the many events in which he can make a strong showing." The Pittsburg Press called Garrels "one of the greatest athletes ever developed in the history of manly sports in America." Even Martin Sheridan
Martin Sheridan
Martin John Sheridan was "one of the greatest athletes [the United States] has ever known" according to his obituary in the New York Times. He was born in Bohola, County Mayo, Ireland and died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, New York, the day before his 37th birthday, a very early casualty...
(a five-time Olympic gold medalist) opined, "He's the greatest all-around athlete in our country -- that's what I think of him. Some day I hope to meet him, and, win or lose, that will be the greatest day of my life."
In early June 1908, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced its selections to compete in the 1908 summer games in London. Garrels was selected to compete for the United States in the 110-meter hurdles, discus, Greek discus and shot put.
In late June 1908, days before sailing for London, Garrels competed at the AAU meet in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Garrels took first place in the 110-meter hurdles (15-3/5 seconds), the discus throw (132 feet, 8 inches) and the shot put (42 feet, 10 inches). He also finished in second place in the 100-meter race.
On June 27, 1908, Garrels set sail from New York to London aboard the Philadelphia as part of the 78-member American track team led by the famed trainer and coach Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy (trainer and coach)
Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy was an athletic trainer and coach at Yale University , the Detroit Athletic Club , the University of Michigan , the University of Pennsylvania , and the New York Athletic Club...
.
Garrels was selected to carry the American flag at the opening ceremonies in London. On July 13, 1908, he led the American delegation into the Olympic stadium at Shepherd's Bush
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
before King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
and Queen Alexandria
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
.
Garrels began his Olympic competition with the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
competition on July 16, 1908. He finished third in the event, as fellow American (and former University of Michigan athlete) Ralph Rose
Ralph Rose
Ralph Waldo Rose was an American track and field athlete.He was born in Healdsburg, California....
took the gold medal. The discus throw was held on the same day, and Garrels failed to finish among the leaders. Fellow American Martin Sheridan took the gold medal in the event. On July 18, 1908, Garrels also competed in the Greek discus, and again he did not place among the leaders. Competing in his fourth event, Garrels took the silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles, finishing second behind fellow American Forrest Smithson
Forrest Smithson
Forrest Custer Smithson was an American athlete, winner of 110 m hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics....
who set a new world record with a time of 15.0 seconds. Following Smithson's surprise victory over Garrels, one press account noted:
"J. C. Garrels, the great University of Michigan athlete, was regarded as unbeatable in this event by the members of the American team, and Smithson's feat of beating him by two yards is something which must mark him as perhaps the greatest athlete turned out in America this season. Until this race Garrels has never been defeated in the high hurdles."
Upon their return from London, Garrels and other members of the American Olympic team were the guests of President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
at Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay
- Place names :In Australia* Oyster Bay, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia* Great Oyster Bay, a bay on the east coast of Tasmania, AustraliaIn South Africa...
.
In 1911, Mike Murphy was asked to rank the best athletes he had seen in his 30 years working with track and field athletes. Murphy rated Garrels as one of the four athletes (along with Lon Myers
Lon Myers
Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers was an American sprinter and middle distance runner.Myers won 28 national championships. He also set world records at 11 different distances, and held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile. Myers set the world quarter-mile record while running the final...
, Harry Jewett and Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Kraenzlein
Alvin Christian Kraenzlein was an American athlete. He was the first sportsman to win four Olympic titles in a single Olympic Games...
) "who towered head and shoulders above any other athletes of their time."
Family and later years
Garrels was employed in the chemical industry for many years after retiring from athletics. He was a technical director at Wyandotte Chemical Company (acquired by BASF in 1969) for 27 years. Garrels died in 1956 at age 70.Garrels was married to Margaret Anne Garrels. They resided in Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township is a general law township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is situated on several islands in the Detroit River, but the largest island is also referred to as simply Grosse Ile. The name comes from French Grosse Île, meaning "Big Island"...
, where they raised three children. Their son Robert Garrels
Robert Garrels
Robert Minard Garrels was an American geochemist. Garrels applied experimental physical chemistry data and techniques to geology and geochemistry problems. The book Solutions, Minerals, and Equilibria co-authored in 1965 by Garrels and Charles L...
(1916-1988) was a noted geochemist.
In 2009, Garrels was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame.