Brutus Hamilton

Brutus Kerr Hamilton ( born July 19, 1900 in Peculiar, Missouri; † 28 December 1970, Berkeley, California ) was an American track and field athlete, who specializes in the decathlon. The 1.83 m wide and 80 -pound athlete competed for the Kansas City Athletic Club.

Hamilton won in 1920 the U.S. championship in the decathlon. The following year, he finished third in the javelin ( 52.56 meters ). His personal best is 54.73 meters, achieved on 15 April 1922 in Berkeley.

In addition, he participated in two Olympic Games: 1920 in Antwerp and Paris in 1924.

• In Antwerp he started in ten and in the pentathlon. In the decathlon, he won with 5739 points, the silver medal behind Norwegian Helge Løvland ( gold with 5803 points ) and before Sweden Bertil Ohlson ( bronze with 5640 points ). His achievements: 100 m 11.4 s, long jump 6.32 meters, shot put 11.61 meters, high jump 1.60 m, 400 m 55.0 s, 17.3 s 110m hurdles, discus 36.14 m, pole vault 3.30 m, javelin 48.08 m and 1500 m 4:57,8 min.
• In the pentathlon, he came in at number six. His achievements: Long jump 6.86 meters, discus 48.36 m, 200 m 23.4 s, javelin 37.13 m and 1500 m 5:12,8 min.

After his athletic career, he worked as a teacher of Physical Education, English and History at Westminster College in Fullton. Subsequently, he was coach, from 1930 - 1932 at the University of Kansas, where Glenn Cunningham and Jim Bausch were among his protégés, and from 1932 to 1965 at the University of California at Berkeley. During this time he was repeatedly National coaches and staff of U.S. Olympic teams.