At the age of 19 he was the best pole vaulter in the state of Massachusetts. He became known as "the Barefoot Boy" for his habit of high jumping with one shoe on and one shoe off. Then when he matriculated to the University of New Hampshire under coach Paul Sweet, the Boston newspaper sport pages would refer to him as "One Shoe Boo". His fame spread as he pole vaulted on an athletic tour of Canada with three other athletes including Babe Ruth.[2] In 1940 he took his athletic skills to the University of New Hampshire, where his record in the long jump lasted for 67 years.[3]
Video on YouTube Official Video Pole Vault competition starts @ 26:10 Morcom's final attempt @ 28:20
Morcom competed in the pole vault at the 1948 Summer Olympics for the United States,[8] finishing in 6th place after passing at lesser heights, then during a rainstorm, missing at the height the eventual winners would clear of 4.20 meters.[9][10] A week later he beat the winning height by 6 inches.[2] In 1949 he won his third United States national championship.[4]
He graduated with a degree in biology and went on to coach Track and Field at the University of Pennsylvania for 35 years before returning to coach in New Hampshire. He started one of the first high school track teams for girls in 1954 and opened the Penn athletic facilities to poor minority high school students.[2] In 1956, he was the coach of the USA Women's Olympic Track Team.
Masters
Morcom continued to compete in athletics as he advanced in age, competing in college meets through his 40s. As an early pioneer of masters athletics, he held the world record for the pole vault as he passed through each of the age divisions between age 50 and 70, plus world records in the high jump, long jump, decathlon, and pentathlon.[11][12] He continued to vault past age 75, still ranked number one.[13]
He became well known for these activities, encountering, by his recollection, Jesse Owens, Wilt Chamberlain, and Jackie Robinson. He appeared on The Bob Hope Show.[2] He was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 1997.[14] He is also in the Braintree High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the UNH Athletic Hall of Fame, the Pole Vault Hall of Fame, the Massachusetts Track Coaches Hall of Fame, and as a coach in the Women's Track and Field Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
In 1987, at the age of 66, he was still able to jump 12'6" in the pole vault, as high as any high school athlete in the state of New Hampshire.[15] He was awarded the New Hampshire Male Athlete of the Year Trophy.[7]
“I went to 105 different countries. I won records everywhere. I've been there, done that, got the T-shirt and caught malaria ... I would go to Canada, set a record, come home. My wife would have my bag packed, and 12 hours later I was in South America talking to Eva Peron ... When we get to heaven, we'll have a track meet, And everybody will be young and strong.”
Author and historian
Morcom was a member of Mensa International. He wrote articles on a range of subjects, from the Hale family of New Hampshire[16] to detailed antique bottles.[17]
Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
