C. Harmon Brown
Encyclopedia
C. Harmon Brown was an American
endocrinologist who was a pioneer in the field of sports medicine
. Dr. Brown's research studied the effects of rigorous exercise on women.
Brown graduated from Lafayette College
in 1952, where he had been the conference champion in hurdling
on three occasions and had set two college records, in the 120-yard high hurdles and 220-yard low hurdles. He was awarded his medical degree in 1956 from The George Washington University School of Medicine. He was chief of the medical service at the Veterans Administration hospital in Livermore, California
and director of university health services at California State University, Hayward.
With female participation in scholastic sports increasing, Brown was quoted by Time
magazine stating that many women may suffer sports injuries, but that "teachers are not equipped to show girls how to gradually improve their physical fitness and cut down on injuries". His research on women participating in athletics showed that different training techniques were needed by women, who he found were more loose jointed and more susceptible to certain injuries, such as dislocated shoulder
s. His works on the subject include the 1986 "The Menstrual Cycle and Physical Activity" and 1988's "Sport Science Perspectives for Women".
Dr. Brown researched the use of performance-enhancing drugs
by athletes and served with the International Association of Athletics Federations
and other organizations worldwide to develop antidoping standards. He started working with the Ladies Professional Golf Association in January 2008 on protocols for testing professional golfers for drug use.
Brown was a long-time college professor, spending four decades at the University of California, San Francisco
. He coached athletes at all levels, including the international level, in track and field athletics events such as the discus throw
, the javelin throw
and the shot put
. He was on the coaching staff of nine American international teams from 1967 to 1986, including United States teams at two Olympics and two Pan American Games
.
Brown died at age 78 on November 11, 2008 of cancer
. He had lived in San Mateo, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
endocrinologist who was a pioneer in the field of sports medicine
Sports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
. Dr. Brown's research studied the effects of rigorous exercise on women.
Brown graduated from Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in 1952, where he had been the conference champion in hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
on three occasions and had set two college records, in the 120-yard high hurdles and 220-yard low hurdles. He was awarded his medical degree in 1956 from The George Washington University School of Medicine. He was chief of the medical service at the Veterans Administration hospital in Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
and director of university health services at California State University, Hayward.
With female participation in scholastic sports increasing, Brown was quoted by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine stating that many women may suffer sports injuries, but that "teachers are not equipped to show girls how to gradually improve their physical fitness and cut down on injuries". His research on women participating in athletics showed that different training techniques were needed by women, who he found were more loose jointed and more susceptible to certain injuries, such as dislocated shoulder
Dislocated shoulder
A dislocated shoulder occurs when the humerus separates from the scapula at the glenohumeral joint. The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body and as a result is particularly susceptible to dislocation and subluxation. Approximately half of major joint...
s. His works on the subject include the 1986 "The Menstrual Cycle and Physical Activity" and 1988's "Sport Science Perspectives for Women".
Dr. Brown researched the use of performance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing drugs
Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performances in the sports in which they engage.- Types of performance-enhancing drugs :...
by athletes and served with the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
and other organizations worldwide to develop antidoping standards. He started working with the Ladies Professional Golf Association in January 2008 on protocols for testing professional golfers for drug use.
Brown was a long-time college professor, spending four decades at the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
. He coached athletes at all levels, including the international level, in track and field athletics events such as the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, the javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
and the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
. He was on the coaching staff of nine American international teams from 1967 to 1986, including United States teams at two Olympics and two Pan American Games
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
.
Brown died at age 78 on November 11, 2008 of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He had lived in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
.