Person
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1883-1966
Person
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fl.1935-1939
Geoffrey Sprange died in the Second World War.Attended the Polytechnic Secondary School
Person
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14 Feb 1845-17 Jan 1903
Merchant and philanthropist, of Scottish descent.
Person
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1872-1952
Wilfred G Bryant was born in September 1872, the son of John (a schoolmaster) and Hope Bryant. In 1901 they were residing in St Marks Buildings Polytechnic Annexe School. Hope died in June 1901. He had two brothers and two sisters, and married in 1910 to a lady whom he met on one of the trips to Switzerland. In the 1891 census he is shown as a bankers clerk and in 1901 as a Clerk-Bank of England. The Bank of England Archives confirmed that Wilfred Goddard Bryant (21/08/1872-31/01/1952) was employed at the Bank's Branch Office from November 1890 until August 1937, reaching the position of cashier.
Person
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b.1888
Born into a Jewish family in Siauliai, Lithuania, 1888; with her seven brothers and sisters and her parents emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, as a young child; active in the fight against tuberculosis in Boston and president of the Jewish Anti-Tuberculosis Association in Boston, 1912-1913; visited Europe, 1914; married Morris Klein, an emigrant from Krakow, 1921.
Person
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13 Jan 1905- 2 May 1966
Sprinter of the highest class, possessed of great natural ability which enabled him to take second place in the 100m in the 1928 Olympics. He was awarded the Studd Trophy that year. In a fairly short career he won the Club 100 and high jump and also the Kinnaird 100 several times.
Later he appeared in Noel Coward's original cast of "Calvacade" as pianist but although living within almost shouting distance of the Poly he had lost contact until turning up two years ago at a reunion, when he appeared pathetically pleased to be remembered. A man of great charm, shy and diffident, he would have been welcome at all times among us.
Also took bronze in the 4x 100m relay race at the 1928 Games and won silver in the 100m in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.
Although born in British Guiana he came to England as a small boy.
Person
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12 Sep 1888-23 Sep 1974
Born in Eltham, London. Died in Warrington.
In 1912 Percy Mann placed third in the AAA 880y and was the winner at the Kinnaird meeting and the Olympic Trials. He was at his best at the Stockholm Olympics and, after winning the fastest of the 800m heats in 1:56.0, matched this time in the semi-finals but was eliminated. He was also a finalist at the AAAs in 1911 and 1914. Curiously he won the Surrey 880y in 1910 and 1911 and the Kent 880y in 1911 and 1913. His successes were achieved despite the fact that he was only able to train late at night after a full working day in the footwear trade.
Person
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8 Dec 1920-04 Dec 2013
Born in Hardbargain, Williamsville, Trinidad and Tobago.
The demands of the Second World War along with the quest for international competition saw McDonald Bailey leave for England in 1944 as a member of the Royal Air Force. Almost directly he made his presence felt - he ran at the Royal Air Force athletic championships of 1945 and triumphed in both the 100-yard and 220-yard events to crown himself champion.
And it was from here that his amazing consistency began. He dominated those championships for four consecutive years, winning both sprints on each occasion. He was unbeaten champion when he left the Royal Air Force in 1948.
After winning the sprint 'double' at the British Amateur Athletic championships of 1946 MacDonald Bailey went on to do the same thing for six consecutive years. During this period he was returning times close to the world record: in the range of 9.6 to 9.8 for the 100-yards event, when the world record was 9.4 seconds. He was also recording 21.1 to 21.5 seconds for the 220 yards event, again not far from the world mark.
In 1947, Bailey returned consistently fast times for the 100 yards, and on one occasion he did a world-record 9.4 seconds, deemed to be wind-assisted. In 1947, he also clocked 10.3 seconds for the 100 metres - one-tenth of a second outside of the then world record. His time for the 200 metres was 21.2 seconds.
The British people were clamouring for Bailey to represent Britain in the Olympic Games of 1948, scheduled for London. The pressure on him to run for Britain was nearly as great as Trinidad's indecision on the selection of a team. In the end Bailey had to choose running for Britain or risk sitting out the Olympics.
While 1947 was a magnificent year for MacDonald Bailey, in 1948 he was plagued by injuries. Indeed, he had to fight tenaciously to reach the final of the 100-metres event, in which he finished sixth and last. Soon after the Olympics he returned to full fitness. British athletics then saw the Bailey of old, not only winning every race, but literally running away from the field to take the tape.
His biggest achievement in 1949 was in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he recorded times like 9.5 seconds for the 100 yards event and 10.2 for the 100 metres event. (The time of 10.2 for the 100 metres was the world record for the distance, but his performance was not recognised because the organisers had omitted to install a wind gauge on the track).
He competed for Great Britain in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, where he won the bronze medal.
He jointly held the 100m world record at 10.2 seconds between 1951 and 1956 and won the sprint double seven times at the AAA Championships.
In 1953 he joined Rugby League side Leigh, but only played one game for them.
Person
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21 Nov 1893-14 Apr 1961
Won bronze medal at 1920 Antwerp Olympics, 1000m cycling individual sprint and a gold medal with Thomas Lance in the 3000m tandem cycling. Joined 12th London Regiment
Person
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1897-18 Apr 1918
18th London Regt., 2nd London Division, T.F., B.E.F. Rifleman, D. Coy, London Irish Rifles, B.E.F.
Died from heart failure as a result of the gassing in France nearly two years previously. He joined up within one month of the declaration of hostilities, before he was of the then military age. He was sent to France where, on 29 June 1916, he was severely gassed. This was on a smoke-bombing raid, preparatory work to the big 1 July (1916) advance.
His first cycle race was the North Road 50 miles Invitation Novices Scratch Race on 9 Aug 1913, and resulted in his doing the distance (after puncturing) in 2hrs 51mins 20sec - a splendid performance for a rider not yet 18 years old. In April 1914 he carried off the Nixon Bowl (Perpetual Trophy for Novices at 25 Miles) being an easy first. By coincidence he won his first prize in an "open" race at Histon, Cambs. where his last days were spent and he was buried within 150 yards of the track. Was a member of the London Irish football team who kicked the ball into the German trenches at Loos.