"Lancaster's Salute to Barney Ewell." Program of athletic events for Barney Ewell Booster Night. Stumpf Field. A feature event of Pennsylvania Week. Autographed "To 'Joe,' Barney Ewell, Olympic Team 1948." Contains congratulatory messages from local businesses and a summary of his achievements.
Admin/Biographical History
Henry Norwood "Barney" Ewell (1918-1996) was born in Harrisburg and lived in Lancaster for most of his life. He won the U.S. junior sprint title in high school and made a name for himself with many other athletic achievements. As a college athlete at Penn State University, Ewell won NCAA titles in 100-meter and 200-meter sprints in 1940 and 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II and returned home to win more national titles in the long jump and earned his B.S. at Penn State.
Ewell, at age 30, finally had his chance to compete with the best athletes in the world at the 1948 Olympic Games which were held in London. He earned a place on the U.S. track team and won a gold medal in the 400-meter relay. He also received silver medals in the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash.
After the Olympics, Ewell returned to Lancaster. He and his wife, Duella, raised their family on Rockland Street in Lancaster City and later moved to Green Street. The Lancaster City directories list him as an employee of several businesses throughout his lifetime, including Coatesville Steel.