View source for John W. Overton

{{Other people|John Overton|John Overton (disambiguation){{!}}John Overton}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name             = John W. Overton
| image            = John W. Overton.jpg
| caption          = John W. Overton in his Yale uniform
| nickname         = Johnny
| nationality      = American
| birth_name       = John Williams Overton
| birth_date       = {{birth date|1894|10|10}} 
| birth_place      = [[Nashville]], Tennessee, U.S. 
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1918|7|19|1894|10|10}} 
| death_place      = [[Soissons]], France
| resting_place    = [[Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)]]
| education        = [[The Hill School]]
| alma_mater       = [[Yale University]]
| occupation       = runner, marine
| years_active     = 1915–1917
<!-- Sport -->
| country          = 
| sport            = Track and Cross-Country
| universityteam   = Yale
| coach            = [[Michael Sweeney (athlete)|Michael Sweeney]], [[William Nelson Queal]], [[John J. Mack (coach)|John Mack]]
<!-- Achievements and titles -->
| worlds           = 
| regionals        = 
| nationals        = 
| olympics         = 
| paralympics      = 
| commonwealth     = 
| highestranking   = 
| pb               = 
<!-- Medal record -->
| show-medals      = 
| medaltemplates   = 
| medaltemplates-title = 
}}
'''John Williams Overton''' (October 10, 1894 – July 19, 1918), also known as '''Johnny Overton''', was an American [[middle-distance runner]] and soldier who was killed in action in [[World War I]]. He was a national champion [[track and field|track]] and [[cross country runner]] at [[Yale University]] and joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] after his graduation in 1917. In track, he set the [[List of world records in athletics|world records]] for the indoor [[mile run]] and indoor 1,000-yard distance in 1917. He was also the college cross country champion in 1915 and 1916.

==Early life==
Overton was born in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], on October 10, 1894.<ref name="Simmons2014p32-33">Simmons 2014, p32-33</ref> His father was Jesse M. Overton.<ref name="NYTObit"/> In Nashville, Overton was a member of the Glen Leven Presbyterian Church.<ref name="burial"/> He attended Wallace University school in Nashville before transferring to [[The Hill School]], a preparatory school in [[Pottstown, Pennsylvania]], where he graduated in 1913.<ref name="burial"/><ref name="outing1918"/><ref name="burial2"/> He enrolled at [[Yale University]], graduating with a bachelor's degree in arts in 1917.<ref name="Simmons2014p32-33"/> He was a member of prominent societies at Yale: [[Skull and Bones]] and Sigma Delta Psi, the later of which he was president. In the summer of 1916 he trained with the Yale Battery, a Yale-based military group.<ref name="burial"/>

==Running career==
[[File:Johnny Overton running.jpg|thumb|Overton was widely known as a track and cross-country star while at Yale.]]
At Yale, Overton became a star track and cross-country athlete. There, he was trained by [[Michael Sweeney (athlete)|Michael Sweeney]], [[William Nelson Queal]],<ref name="TSHF"/> and [[John J. Mack (coach)|John Mack]].<ref name="OvertonOutForRecord1916"/> Overton was described as tall and rangy and running with a great, loping stride. Overton's strategy was to allow another runner to set the early pace but to finish strong, and he ran with an "air of quiet determination".<ref name="Contrasting">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16180816/Contrasting the Speed Methods of Two World-Record Runners], ''The Times'' (Shreveport, Louisiana) 27 May 1917, page 37, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref>  He had no opportunity to run in the Olympics because the [[1916 Summer Olympics]] were cancelled due to World War I, the first time the Olympics had been cancelled since the modern revival.

He won the intercollegiate cross-country championships in 1915 and 1916.<ref name="NYTObit">[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/08/21/97019370.pdf Johnny Overton Killed in Battle], ''The New York Times'' (New York, New York). August 21, 1918</ref> He finished second in the two mile at the intercollegiate track championships in 1915.<ref name="HalsteadIndObit">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16180528/johnny_overton_is_killed_halstead/ Johnny Overton is Killed] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102073902/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16180528/johnny_overton_is_killed_halstead/ |date=2018-01-02 }}, ''Halstead Independent'' (Halstead, Kansas) 19 Sep 1918, page 6, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref>

===1916===
In January he won the [[Rodman Wanamaker]] mile and a half event in the [[Millrose Games]] in New York City.<ref name="OvertonOutForRecord1916">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16198899/overton_out_for_new_miles_record/ Overton Out for New Miles Record] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103011754/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16198899/overton_out_for_new_miles_record/ |date=2018-01-03 }}. ''Hartford Courant'' (Hartford, Connecticut) 22 May 1916, page 16, accessed January 2, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref> Later that winter he set the [[Mile run world record progression#Men Indoor Pre-IAAF|world]] and [[List of United States records in track and field|American record]] in the indoor {{convert|1000|yd|m|adj=on}} run at 2:15.4 while winning the [[USA Indoor Track and Field Championships|indoor AAU National Championships]].<ref name="usatf800m">[http://www.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/800m.aspx USA Indoor Track & Field Champions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121044228/http://www.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAIndoorTF/men/800m.aspx |date=2015-11-21 }}, USA Track & Field, Accessed January 1, 2018</ref><ref name="outing1918"/><ref name=progress/> He was the anchor runner in Yale's world record tying 4 × {{convert|880|yd|m|adj=on}} relay team in early May, 1916.<ref name="OvertonOutForRecord1916"/><ref name=progress>Colby, Frank Moore. [https://books.google.com/books?id=sGMMAAAAYAAJ New International Yearbook: A Compendium of the World's Progress] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222154216/https://books.google.com/books?id=sGMMAAAAYAAJ |date=2018-02-22 }}. Dodd, Mead and Co. 1916. p. 61</ref><ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/usai.htm United States Indoor Championship]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-02-24.</ref> He also finished third in the two mile at the intercollegiate track championships in that year.<ref name="HalsteadIndObit"/>

He placed third at the 1916 [[USA Cross Country Championships|National Cross Country Championships]] behind [[Ville Kyrönen]] and [[Hannes Kolehmainen]],<ref>[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/12/10/104238719.pdf Victor in Hill-and-Dale Run], ''New York Times'' (New York, New York), December 10, 1916</ref> both Finnish Olympic medalists.  As the first U.S. citizen across the finish line, he was the national champion.<ref>Hutchinson, Andrew Boyd. The Complete History of Cross-Country Running: From the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day. Skyhorse Publishing Inc., Jan 16, 2018</ref>

===1917===
In 1917 he set the [[Mile run world record progression#Men's Indoor|indoor world record for the mile]] at Meadowbrook Games in Philadelphia with a time of 4:16.0.  He took over two seconds off of [[Abel Kiviat]]'s record of 4:18.2 set more than four years earlier.  The record, Kiviat took had stood for only three days.<ref name="Simmons2014p32-33"/><ref>[http://bringbackthemile.com/history/progressions Record Progressions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015101804/http://bringbackthemile.com/history/progressions |date=2017-10-15 }}, Bring Back the Mile, accessed January 1, 2018</ref> He again set the world and American record in the indoor {{convert|1000|yd|m|adj=on}} run March 17 at the AAU Indoor Track and Field Championships at [[Fort Washington Avenue Armory|The Armory]] in New York City. This time his pace was 2:14.0, taking a remarkable 1.4 seconds off his own previous record.<ref name=progress/><ref name="outing1918">[https://books.google.com/books?id=-rpLAAAAYAAJ ''Outing'', Volume 71] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222154216/https://books.google.com/books?id=-rpLAAAAYAAJ |date=2018-02-22 }}, Outing Publishing Company, 1918. p344</ref><ref name="usatf800m"/> That performance was ranked number 43 of the top 100 performances in the history of The Armory.<ref>Pfeifer, Jack. [http://ny.milesplit.com/articles/20940-100-greatest-moments-in-armory-history-1-alan-webb-runs-3-5986-to-set-the-national-high-school 100 Greatest Moments in Armory History:] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101030408/http://ny.milesplit.com/articles/20940-100-greatest-moments-in-armory-history-1-alan-webb-runs-3-5986-to-set-the-national-high-school |date=2018-01-01 }}, Mile Split NY, December 4, 2008</ref> Later in March, he lost in a widely discussed race against [[Joie Ray (athlete)|Joie Ray]] at the [[Millrose Games|games of the John Wanamaker Commercial Institute]] at [[Madison Square Garden]].<ref name="Contrasting"/> During college he became a member of the Mercury Foot club, intending to race under that group while still in college, but the [[Amateur Athletic Union]] disallowed his racing for both Mercury and Yale. After college, he planned to compete with the [[New York Athletic Club]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16180986/johnny_overton_to_run_for_nyac_in_june/ Johnny Overton to Run For NYAC in June] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102073851/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16180986/johnny_overton_to_run_for_nyac_in_june/ |date=2018-01-02 }}, ''Des Moines Tribune'' (Des Moines, Iowa. April 7, 1917, page 7, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref>

[[File:Johnny Overton in Uniform.jpg|thumb|left|Johnny Overton in uniform as 2nd lieutenant in the US Marine Corps in 1917]]

== Marines ==
Overton enlisted in the Marines when the United States joined [[World War I]] in April, 1917.<ref name="burial"/> In May, General [[George Barnett]] called for recommendations from one college from every state for ten men to be given temporary commissions in the Marine Corps. Along with his friend Samuel W. Meek, Overton was one of the ten selected by Yale.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16183520/yale_selects_ten_for_marine_corps_new/ Yale Selects Ten For Marine Corps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102073906/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16183520/yale_selects_ten_for_marine_corps_new/ |date=2018-01-02 }}, ''New York Herald'' (New York, New York) 8 May 1917, page 5, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref> Overton was training at [[Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center]] before moving to [[Marine Corps Base Quantico]] on July 18, 1917,<ref name="Simmons2014p32-33"/> where he entered officer school. He graduated from officers school in September,<ref name="burial"/> and his promotion to the rank of second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve was confirmed that same month.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16183700/john_overton_promoted_the_tennessean/ John Overton Promoted] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102073839/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16183700/john_overton_promoted_the_tennessean/ |date=2018-01-02 }}, ''The Tennessean'' (Nashville, Tennessee) 9 Sep 1917, page 31, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref> Overton remained at Quantico where he helped with the physical training program until February 1918.<ref name="Simmons2014p32-33"/> Although he graduated from Quantico in the artillery division along with Meek and two other Yale classmates, when they learned that artillery was not to be sent to France, they asked to transfer to infantry.<ref name="burial"/>

==In France==
He embarked for France on February 4, 1918, as a member of the 119th Company of the First Replacement Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps, arriving in [[Brest, France|Brest]] on February 26. His company then entered training at [[Châtillon-sur-Cher]], while Overton went to officers' training school at Gondremont, France, near [[Bezange-la-Grande]]. He graduated at the head of his class on May 31, 1918, and was sent on June 1 for observation with the [[42nd Infantry Regiment (France)|Forty Second Regiment of French Chasseurs]] stationed in the [[Vosges|Vosges Mountains]]. He was initiated as an honorary member of the French Chasseurs and remained with the regiment from June 1–13. When the Marines became engaged at [[Chateau-Thierry]] in early June, he asked to be transferred from his company which was still in training to the front line, and on June 16 he arrived at a marine camp in the middle of the [[Battle of Belleau Wood]], which had begun June 1 and would continue until June 26. There, Overton was assigned second lieutenant in the 18th Company, [[6th Marine Regiment|6th Regiment]], U. S. Marines, a part of the [[4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade|4th Marine Brigade]] and [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Division]]. He served at Belleau Wood until July 9. On July 2 he was promoted to first lieutenant, but would not learn of that before his death. From July 9–16 he was stationed at [[Nanteuil-sur-Marne]]. On July 16, his regiment along with the 5th Regiment were moved to the French front near [[Soissons]] to join the [[Second Battle of the Marne]]. The division was then a part of Marshal [[Ferdinand Foch]]'s allied [[Battle of Soissons (1918)|offensive on the Soissons salient]] begun July 18, 1918, his division under French General [[Charles Mangin]].<ref name="burial"/>

==Death==

{|class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0.5em; font-size: 90%; background:#white; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 30%;" cellspacing="5"
|style="text-align: left;"|'''Navy Cross citation:'''<br>
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Second Lieutenant John William Overton (MCSN: 0-3071), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with the 6th Regiment (Marines), 2d Division, A.E.F. in action near Vierzy, France, 19 July 1918. While valiantly leading his platoon in an attack against the enemy, under severe machine-gun and artillery fire, Second Lieutenant Overton was mortally wounded. His courageous conduct had a great moral effect upon his men and helped to insure the success of the attack.<ref>[http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=8884 Valor Awards for John William Overton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108174842/http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=8884 |date=2018-01-08 }}, The Military Times Hall of Valor, accessed January 7, 2018</ref>
|}

On July 19, 1918, the second day of the offensive, Overton was hit by a shell fragment near his heart and died a few hours later.<ref name="burial"/><ref>Simmons 2014, p169</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7qaL32NbnVAC The Recruiters' Bulletin, Volume 4] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222154216/https://books.google.com/books?id=7qaL32NbnVAC |date=2018-02-22 }}. Recruiting Service of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1917. p31</ref> After the battle, Yale classmate and fellow Nashvillean, Samuel W. Meek, found Overton's body and buried it in a wheatfield about 2,000 yards from Vierzy.<ref>Simmons 2014, p173</ref> In 1923, Overton's father died in a car accident and Overton's mother decided to have her son's body brought to Nashville.<ref name="burial2">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16192347/ John Overton's Body Laid to Rest in Mt. Olivet With Military Honors] ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16192363/ part 2]), ''The Tennessean'' (Nashville, Tennessee) 6 Mar 1923, page 1 and 3, accessed January 2, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref><ref>Nelson, James Carl. I Will Hold: The Story of USMC Legend Clifton B. Cates, from Belleau Wood to Victory in the Great War, Penguine 2016, p171</ref> He is buried next to his father at [[Mount Olivet Cemetery (Nashville)|Mount Olivet Cemetery]].<ref name="burial">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16191459/ His Body at Last to Rest at Home] ([https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16191496/ part 2]), ''Nashville Tennessean'' (Nashville, Tennessee) March 1, 1923, page 1 and 3, accessed January 1, 2018 at [[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}}</ref>

After his death, he was awarded the [[Navy Cross]] and the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]].<ref name="burial"/> He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm from the French Army and was frequently memorialized in poetry, including a piece by [[Grantland Rice]] called "A Marine Comes Home". In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the [[Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref name="TSHF">[http://tshf.net/halloffame/overton-john-williams/ John Williams Overton] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072822/http://tshf.net/halloffame/overton-john-williams/ |date=2018-01-03 }}, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, 2005 inductee, tshf.net</ref><ref>[http://www.utsports.com/news/2004/11/15/Tennessee_Sports_Hall_of_Fame_Announces_2005_Inductees Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Announces 2005 Inductees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102191407/http://www.utsports.com/news/2004/11/15/Tennessee_Sports_Hall_of_Fame_Announces_2005_Inductees |date=2018-01-02 }}, UTSports.com, November 15, 2004</ref>

==National titles==
*[[USA Indoor Track and Field Championships|AAU Indoor Track and Field Championships]]
**1000-yard run: 1916, 1917
*[[USA Cross Country Championships]]
**Senior race: 1916

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Simmons, Edwin Howard. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AwTnBAAAQBAJ Through the Wheat: The US Marines in World War I]''. Naval Institute Press, 2014.

{{Footer US NC Indoor 800m Men}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Overton, John}}
[[Category:1894 births]]
[[Category:1918 deaths]]
[[Category:American male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:American male cross country runners]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:American military personnel killed in World War I]]
[[Category:World record setters in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:The Hill School alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Nashville, Tennessee]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps officers]]
[[Category:Yale Bulldogs men's track and field athletes]]