Hall of Fame

William Parry O’Brien was born in Santa Monica, California, and first drew athletic acclaim as a football player at the University of Southern California. After an injury ended his football career, he chose to focus his efforts on track and field, specifically the shot put and discus throws. Along the way, he developed his signature O’Brien style of shot put throwing, turning his entire body 180 degrees to generate momentum for his throw. This throwing style revolutionized the sport, allowing him to break the world record in shot put 17 times, as well as become the first man to throw the shot more than 60 feet. O’Brien would win three Olympic medals in shot put, including the gold medal at the Olympic Games Helsinki 1952 and the Melbourne 1956 Games. He received the James E. Sullivan award in 1959 for the nation’s top amateur athlete, and later enjoyed successful careers in commercial banking, real estate and civil engineering.