Garrett Serviss

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameGarrett Putnam•Serviss, Jr.
Used nameGarrett•Serviss
BornJanuary 1881
Died23 December 1907 in Ithaca, New York (USA)
AffiliationsCornell Big Red, Ithaca (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 0
Silver 1
Bronze 0
Total 1

Biography

The son of a famous author, Garrett Serviss’s first athletic success was in 1900 at the Caledonian Games when he won the high jump. He entered Princeton in 1899, but left in 1901 to enroll at Cornell. In 1900, representing Princeton, he tied for third in the IC4A high jump and in 1904 he was fourth in the same event for Cornell. At the 1904 Olympics, Serviss won a jump-off for second with the German, Paul Weinstein, and finished fourth in the triple jump.

Serviss’ father, also Garrett Putnam Serviss, was an astronomer, science fiction writer, and journalist. In 1894 he was asked by Andrew Carnegie to give The Urania Lectures on astronomy, cosmology, and geology. Serviss, Sr. toured the US for over two years delivering these lectures, and then became a popular speaker in New York. He wrote 15 books, 8 of which focused on astronomy, and 6 of which were science fiction novels. He was also an avid mountain climber, once having summitted the Matterhorn.

Personal Best: HJ – 6-4½ (1.943) (1903).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1904 Summer Olympics Athletics USA Garrett Serviss
High Jump, Men (Olympic) 2 Silver
Long Jump, Men (Olympic) DNS
Triple Jump, Men (Olympic) DNS
Standing Triple Jump, Men (Olympic) 4

Errata

DOD unclear, different in various sources, may be 31 December 1907, but his obituary appeared in papers on 25 December.