TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Samuel A. LaBeach, II 1924-2022 Olympic Sprinter, Track Coach
S amuel A. LaBeach (Alpha Iota 1949) entered the Chapter Invisible at his home in Washington, DC, on Novem- ber 22, 2022, at age 98. The fifth of six boys born to Samuel Sr. and Julia Louise Johnston LaBeach from the Parish of Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, Samuel Alexander LaBeach, II was born in Panama City, Panama, on April 15, 1924. He came from an athletic family; his brothers were runners, boxers, and foot- ball and cricket players. Panamanian-born LaBeach moved to Jamaica at a young age and was a high school student. He was noted for his running prowess by a Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) student visiting the country. The college recruited LaBeach and offered him an athletic scholarship. He attended Morgan State College, where he helped turn the Morgan State Bear track program into a national power in the late 1940s and 1950s.
While at Morgan State, LaBeach won collegiate mile relay titles from 1948 through 1950, the indoor 500-yard title from 1949 through 1951, and the outdoor championship in 1950 and 1951. In 1951, World Track and Field News named him one of the six best quarter-milers in the world. Internationally he represented Panama and won the 400-meter event at the 1951 Bolivarian Games, which led to his selection for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Unfortunately, he pulled a hamstring in training and was unable to compete. Injuries led LaBeach to retire shortly after the Helsinki Games. After graduating from Morgan State in 1952, LaBeach earned Master’s degrees at Howard Univer- sity and Catholic University. Professionally, LaBeach worked nearly four decades with the Department of Recreation in Washington, D.C. He co-founded the D.C. Marathon, the precur- sor to the Marine Corps
Marathon and was a track coach at the University of the District of Columbia. LaBeach was a member of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. He also held memberships with the D.C. Recreation and Park Society; the influential American Academy for Park and Recreation Adminis- trators, whose membership is limited to those who have made exceptional contributions to Parks and Recreation; the National Recreation and Parks Association; the National Association of Social Workers; the Metropolitan Washington Soccer Referee Association, where he refereed for 15 years; served on the Board of Directions and Trustees of the U.S. Olympic Committee; United Planning Organization; N.W. settlement House; Police Boys Club; The Caribbean American Intercultural Organization (CAIO); the United States Youth Games, where he served as coordi- nator from its inception in
1966 to its final year in 1974. He was a founding member and President (1987-89) of the Roundtable Associates, an organization dedicated to recreation. In 1974, his alma mater inducted LaBeach into the Morgan State University Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Morgan State Varsity “M” Club, and Chairman of the One Hundred-Dollar Club Athletic Endowment Fund, which awarded scholarships to Morgan athletes; He was also a member of the orga- nizing committee of the MSU Legacy Track Meet, which was established to honor Morgan’s track and field greats. Brother Samuel A. LaBeach was predeceased by his wife of 71 years, Nell LaBeach, and five brothers: George, Donald, Harold, Lloyd, and Byron. Sam leaves behind a son, Samuel III (Alpha Iota 1971), grand- daughter, Courtney Janell LaBeach, and grandson, Samuel IV. ♦
FALL 2023 ♦ THE JOURNAL 79
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