Howard Bostock was one of the greatest athletes in the history of Gettysburg College and he accomplished that in just over a year. As a prep student, Bostock guided Gettysburg to a victory in the mile race at the Penn Relays Carnival in 1914, the school's first title at the event. On May 23 in a meet against Bucknell, he turned in one of the greatest performances ever on the track. He won both the 100-yard and 220-yard races in record-breaking fashion, but his showing in the broad jump was nothing short of amazing. Bostock cleared 23 feet, 3.5 inches to shatter the old school record and a standard that lives on 100 years later.
After matriculating as a freshman for the 1914-15 academic year, Bostock competed in basketball and indoor track to hone his skills for the outdoor season. He continued his record-breaking pace in the sprints and posted school records in the 100-yard dash (9.8) and 220-yard dash (21.4) in a meet against Delaware. At that same event, Bostock once again cleared 23 feet in the broad jump, falling just short of his school record at 23 feet, 2 1/5 inches.
Just a week later, Bostock shined at the Middle Atlantic States Intercollegiate Track and Field Carnival at Haverford College, capturing titles in the 100, 220, and broad jump.
Bostock left Gettysburg following his freshman year. He fought in France during World War I and returned from the war to work in the steel mills in western PA. He retired to St. Petersburg, Fla., in the 1950s and passed away there on Jan. 4, 1972. Bostock was elected to the Gettysburg College Hall of Athletic Honor's inaugural class in 1978.
