Lucian Blackmer

Lucian Blackmer studied at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts where he was the captain of the track team. In 1903 Blackmer won the world’s intercollegiate championships in the low hurdles and the high jump. The following year at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics dozens of handicap non-medal track and field events were contested alongside the “true” Olympic events. Blackmer competed in four of these events, winning the 120 yards hurdles and the 120 yards hurdles with a handicap, although only three athletes ran in each race.

Blackmer was a renowned businessman in St. Louis, Missouri where he ran the Blackmer and Post Pipe Company, which manufactured clay pipes. He also co-founded the Security-Mutual Bank and Trust Co and was a treasurer of the City Art Museum board of control. Away from work Blackmer was an expert and collector of Chinese art, dedicating many hours to exhibitions at the museum.