Orton, George W.
Track and Field
b. Jan. 10, 1873, Strathroy, Ontario
d. June 26, 1958
After graduating from the University of Toronto, where he ran track and cross-country and also played soccer, Orton entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1893 to do graduate work. He was the IC4A mile champion in 1895 and 1897 and he also established and played for Penn's first ice hockey team.
Orton won the U. S. national 1-mile championship from 1892 through 1896 and in 1900. He was the 10-mile champion in 1899 and the cross-country champion in 1897 and 1898.
Since Canada didn't have an Olympic team in 1900, Orton was invited to join the U. S. team. He won a gold medal in the 2,500-meter steeplechase and a bronze in the 400-meter hurdles, as well as finishing fourth in the 4,000-meter steeplechase.
After receiving his Ph.D. from Penn in 1896, he did another year of graduate work and then became an educator. Orton was Penn's track and field coach for several years and he served as director of Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium from 1928 to 1934.