Phantom of the anvil

[Thom Van Vleck]

Only the phantom knows….haha

But seriously, those things must be huge if that guy is 6’6″ tall.

Someday that story will be complete….but not yet. The reason is that if I write about this guy the University Museum will pick it apart if I don’t get all the facts. I have a pretty good idea of who it is and some of his exploits are almost unbelieveable, but well documented. And his story starts at…well…that will just have to wait.

Thom Van Vleck
Jackson Weightlifting Club
Highland Games athlete and sometimes All-Rounder

[Scott Tully]

Thom do you know his name? if so what is it? and if not how are all these expoloits known, like who he is friends with, 7500 yard drop kicks, impregnating women with a single stare? reason I ask is that my dad is from that area, and grandpa would have played FB at Northeast around the same era. Also looking at his structure, he doesnt appear to be 6″6 but he looks like a big SOB for that era.

ST

[Thom Van Vleck]

Tully, ATSU (then KCOS) used to play Truman (then called Kirksville Normal School) every year. I get the 6’6 because Dr Bohm was allegedly 6’4″ tall and there’s a picture of this guy with him and he’s taller than Dr. Bohm. They both threw and traveled to meets in the midwest throwing and after this guy left to join the Army in WWI Dr. Bohm writes about him winning the All Services Track & Field Championships in the shot put and discus. My problem is that I have two names for him and while I’m 90% sure that he’s the “right guy” I want to be 100% sure. This involves me going down to the museum and doing more research and that’s time consuming. I’ll e-mail you the two names I have. As for the info, in the yearbooks they talk about his “legendary exploits” on the field. That’s where I get all that. Althought I don’t recall him impregnating anyone with a stare…only Chuch Norris and Al Myers can do that and for Al it only works on cows……

Thom Van Vleck
Jackson Weightlifting Club
Highland Games athlete and sometimes All-Rounder

[Al Myers]

haha geez, thanks. Al

[Ben Edwards]

That’s one of the coolest pictures I’ve ever seen! The anvils look massive too. I’d guess 150lbs each? I’ve had the chance to lift a few about that size by the horn so I’m of course only guessing about the weight. Was that picture taken in the 30s? I’m intrigued by his personalized shirt almost as much as his ease at holding both those anvils and his evident muscularity.

https://goalorientedtraining.wordpress.com/

[Al Myers]

Ben – 150 pounds was my guess also. But I have a 150 pound anvil, and the ones in the picture look bigger than mine!!! Al

[Thom Van Vleck]

The picture was taken in 1917. The Skull and Crossbones were the KCOS Team logo for all sports. This is an Osteopathic hospital after all! I’m guessing those pants are football pants.

Thom Van Vleck
Jackson Weightlifting Club
Highland Games athlete and sometimes All-Rounder

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