TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Byron T. LaBeach 1930-2021 Olympic Sprinter, Entrepreneur, U.S. Army
F amed Jamaican Olym- pian Byron T. LaBeach (Alpha Iota 1951), a member of Jamaica’s 4×400 meters team to the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Fin- land, entered the Chapter Invisible on December 12, 2021, at age 91. Byron Truman LaBeach was born in Kingston, Jamaica where he attended St. Georges College. He was an outstanding varsity athlete at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) from 1950 to 1954. He joined Morgan State’s renowned track program following in the footsteps of his two famous brothers, Lloyd and Sam, both Olympic athletes. He ran the 4 x 100 and 880 relays; was a member of the championship teams at Knights of Columbus, Millrose Games, and Penn Relays 1951-52. He was a member of the A.A.U. Championship 4 x 100 relay in 1954, Baltimore South Atlantic Track Meet, first in 100 yards and 1952 member of the Jamaican
“HE JOINED MORGAN STATE’S RENOWNED TRACK PROGRAM FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS TWO FAMOUS BROTHERS, LLOYD AND SAM, BOTH OLYMPIC ATHLETES.”
supermarket chains in the New York City tri-state area. In 1985 in collabora- tion with his brother Lloyd, of 1948 Olympic fame, he launched a larger firm Agro Foods and later rebranded as Agro Marketing. Among LaBeach’s numer- ous achievements include induction into the Morgan State University Hall of Fame (1998); Legends Hall of Fame (2003); Victoria Mutual Society Hall of Fame (2003); and Jamaican Amateur Athletics Associa- tion Hall of Fame (2003). In 2004, LaBeach was awarded the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation and, in 2021, presented with the pin of Outstanding Olympic Performance by Christo- pher Samuda, President of the Jamaica Olympic Association. Brother Byron T. LaBeach was preceded by his wife of 57 years, Violet who passed early in 2021. He is survived by two daughters and a son, and four grandchildren. ♦
Olympic team. In 1953, he received a silver medal in the 100 meters at Central American Games, a gold medal in the 4 by 100 meters, and a bronze medal in the 200 meters. He also competed in international competitions in Scotland, France, Sweden, and England. LaBeach earned degrees from Morgan State in Physical Education and Sociology. He also had a business degree from Cali- fornia State College. LaBeach served in the United States Army during the Korean War where he was an assistant to the
chaplain. After his hon- orable discharge, he did postgraduate studies at California State University. Professionally, he first worked at Quaker Oats as an account manager in the Sales and Marketing Divi- sion where he remained until 1970. He then joined Nestle Corporation as an Area Account Manager, Sales and Marketing. Several years later, he went into business on his own when he launched the LaBeach Food Company and became a pioneer in the importation and distribution of Caribbean food products to major
78 THE JOURNAL ♦ FALL 2023
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