Tom Deckard

He competed in the 5000 meters at the 1936 Summer Olympics and held world bests in the 3000-meter indoor and two-mile outdoor steeplechase races.

[4]: 82  The main U.S. Olympic Trials were held the following week, with Deckard entered in the 5000 meters; he received help from Lash, who was the early leader but slowed down to offer his teammate encouragement and support.

[1] With the encouragement of his coach at Indiana, Billy Hayes, Deckard turned to the 3000-meter steeplechase; he won the AAU indoor championship in that event in 1937.

[13][15] Deckard, an entrepreneur, built a highly successful business, Flasher Light and Barricade in Indianapolis, which dominated the Central Indiana construction market for three decades.

He routinely hired Indiana University students, living in Indianapolis, as summer employees as well as men from the largely Black Martindale neighborhood where his business was located.