Copeland, Lillian (1904–1964)
Copeland, Lillian (1904–1964)
American track and field star. Born in New York City on November 25, 1904; died on February 7, 1964.
Competitor in the shot put, discus, and javelin; won a silver medal in the discus in the Olympics (1928) and a gold in the same event in the Olympics (1932).
At the University of Southern, California, Lillian Copeland played tennis and basketball, participated in track and field, and won every track event she entered. Her first national title was in the shot put in 1925; that year, she would win eight more. In 1926, she broke two world records, throwing the javelin 112′5½″ and the discus 101′1″. In the 1928 Amsterdam Games, Copeland competed only in the discus because the shot put was not an Olympic women's event. She threw the discus 121′7⅞″ to win a silver medal. Copeland continued to win national titles and in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics won a gold medal in the discus with a throw of 133′1⅝″, which set a world record. She was inducted into the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. After retiring from competition, Copeland served as a juvenile officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department from 1936 to 1960.
Karin Loewen Haag , Athens, Georgia