Eulace Peacock

Eulace Peacock (August 27, 1914 - December 13, 1996) was an American track and field athlete in the 1930s.

Born in Dothan, Alabama and raised in New Jersey, he became a rival to Jesse Owens in many sprinting competitions. He broke the high school record in the long jump the same day it was bettered by Owens. "I had that record for two hours." He attended Temple University in Philadelphia where he became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Peacock won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) outdoor pentathlon championship six times, in 1934, 1935, 1937, and from 1943 through 1945.

He was a sprinting prodigy, who bested the notable prodigy of his time, Owens, on several occasions. After pulling a hamstring muscle, he was unable to qualify for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

In 1942 he served in the US Coast Guard; in later years he opened a liquor store and a car-rental business. He stayed connected with athletics by officiating at championship events and Olympic qualifying trials. He has been honoured by a number of athletic bodies, including the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Eulace Peacock died of Alzheimer's disease at age 82 in Yonkers and was interred in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, NY.

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