Posted: January 30, 2007

Athletics: Schmertz To Be Inducted In Millrose Hall Of Fame

From David Monti © 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com NEW YORK (30-Jan) -- Howard Schmertz, who directed the Millrose Games for 28 years, will be inducted into the meet's hall of fame on Thursday night, meet organizers said here yesterday. The 81 year-old Schmertz succeeded his father, Fred, when he retired from the post of meet director in 1975. Fred Schmertz, the former head of the legal department at the John Wanamaker Department Store which founded the meet, began directing the event in 1934, meaning the Schmertz dynasty at Millrose lasted 70 years. The meet celebrates its 100th edition on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. The younger Schmertz is still involved with the meet, and holds the title Meet Director Emeritus which was bestowed on him in 2004. Sports agent Mark Wetmore now directs the meet through his athlete management firm, Global Athletics & Marketing, based in Boston. Howard Schmertz graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx in 1941, and served in World War II as an infantry man. He earned a degree from Columbia University and Columbia Law School, and worked as a lawyer, eventually rising to partner at Huber Lawrence & Abell. Assisted by his wife Judy, he directed the Millrose Games as a labor of love; the meet director's job was unpaid. The induction will take place at a special celebration, "Centennial Gala - An All-Star Relay Through Time," which will be held at the Rainbow Room on Thursday night. Schmertz will be the only inductee in this year's class. The Millrose Games is the longest-running indoor track meet in the United States. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest

Check out our FrontPage for all the latest running and triathlon news. Top of News Runner's Web FrontPage