William Rowe (athlete)

William John Alfred Rowe (May 27, 1913 – April 20, 1938) was an American hammer thrower.

Rowe studied at Rhode Island State College, where Fred Tootell, former Olympic hammer throw champion, served as track and field coach.

Rhode Island alumni led America in the hammer and weight throws in the mid-1930s; apart from Rowe, Tootell's star pupils included Henry Dreyer and Irving Folwartshny.

[2][4] Rowe missed much of the 1935 season due to an injury,[4] but his best mark that year, 173 ft 10 in (52.98 m),[2] still placed him third among Americans behind Dreyer and Chester Cruikshank.

[6] At that year's national championships Rowe turned the tables and won the hammer title with a best mark of 175 ft 7 in (53.51 m), defeating both Folwartshny and defending champion Dreyer by more than eight feet.