[1] He competed for the United States in the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris in the hammer throw where he won the gold medal.

[2][3] Tootell was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and died in Wakefield, Rhode Island.

[4][5] Tootell graduated from Bowdoin College in 1923,[6] where he played American football as a tackle and competed as a hammer thrower,[4] and enrolled at Tufts University School of Medicine to maintain his eligibility for the 1924 Olympics.

[7] He was professor of physical education,[7] and coached the tennis, track, and cross country teams.

Tootell was posthumously elected to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1968.