William Rowe, 1914-1938, was a member of the U.S. Track and Field Team in the hammer-throw at the 1936 Berlin Games. He recorded a fifth place finish–the best performance by an American. Rowe, a Rhode Island native, also excelled in the discus throw and held the URI record (156′ 1 1/4″ in 1937) in that event for many years. He died of cancer in 1938 at the age of 24.