Eli Parsons
The Lawrenceville School -- Mid Distance
As a graduate from high school in 1903, Eli B. Parsons left Lawrenceville Prep as the school record holder for 440 Yards. He then attended Yale University where he moved up to both cross country and mid-distances on the track, and he set two indoor world records.
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The first occurred on March the 19th of 1904 in Buffalo NY where he set an indoor world mark of 1:54.6 over 880 Yards (Half Mile). His record stood for 21 years.
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Parson's second world record was in the 600 Yard Run. On March 3rd 1906 in New York City he covered the 600 in 1:14.0. It was broken a year later by future Olympic gold medalist Mel Sheppard.
Parsons (#13) shown in Lawrenceville Prep team photo1903
While at Yale Parsons also won two IC4A championships in the 880. He won the 1904 title in 1:56.8 and the 1905 title in 1:56.0. With those wins he became the 2nd Mercer County high school alumnus to win the IC4A 880 title after Princeton Prep's Walter Dohm. In 1910 G.H. Whitely--also a Lawrenceville graduate--would be the third to win the IC4A 880. Of all three, Parsons IC4A times were the fastest.​​
Parsons (R) at Yale.
In the spring of 1906 Parsons represented the United States National Team at the Intercalated Games in Athens Greece.
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After graduating from Yale, Parsons served as a career military officer in the United States Navy.
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