Carl Osburn
Personal information
Born(1884-11-05)November 5, 1884
Jacksontown, Ohio, United States
DiedDecember 28, 1966(1966-12-28) (aged 82)
St. Helena, California, United States
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Sport
SportSport shooting
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1912 Stockholm Team rifle
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 300 m military rifle, standing
Gold medal – first place1920 Antwerp300 m team military rifle, prone
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp 300 + 600 m team military rifle, prone
Gold medal – first place 1920 AntwerpTeam free rifle
Silver medal – second place1912 Stockholm 600 m free rifle
Silver medal – second place1912 Stockholm 300 m military rifle, three positions
Silver medal – second place1920 Antwerp 300 m team military rifle, standing
Silver medal – second place 1924 Paris 600 m free rifle
Bronze medal – third place1912 Stockholm50 m team small-bore rifle
Bronze medal – third place1920 Antwerp 100 m team running deer, single shots

Carl Townsend Osburn (May 5, 1884 – December 28, 1966) was a United States Navy officer and sport shooter from Jacksontown, Ohio. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1906, Osburn went on to reach the rank of commander.[1] He competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics, 1920 Summer Olympics, and 1924 Summer Olympics, winning a total of eleven Olympic medals:[2] five gold (including two individual golds), four silver, and two bronze.[3] He is the most successful shooter at the Olympic Games when individual and team medals are both taken into the account. His tally of eleven medals made him the leading male medal winner for the United States at the Olympic Games until Michael Phelps broke this record, after Mark Spitz equalled it in 1972.[4][5]

Military history

Osburn was admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy as a midshipman on August 1, 1903, graduating in 1906, earlier than scheduled, to address a shortage of naval officers.[4][6][7] He was assigned for his sea service as a midshipman on board USS Rhode Island (BB-17) from October 12, 1906 to June 1908. He was then assigned to USS Castine (PG-6), a gunboat serving as a submarine tender, from October 4, 1908 to May 1909, seeing service along the Atlantic coast.

During operations off Cuba in 1908, he earned the right to wear the Cuban Pacification Medal. Osburn was commissioned an ensign on February 12, 1909. Additionally, in 1909.[8] Continuing his sea duty, Osburn was assigned on October 2, 1909, to USS Mississippi (BB-23), seeing service off the coast of New England until January 1910.

Promoted to lieutenant (j. g.) on February 12, 1912, Osburn was detailed in April from Mississippi to participate from June to July in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, where he competed in rifle marksmanship.

Osburn then embarked on another tour of duty at sea, this time in USS Des Moines (C-15), a cruiser, beginning on September 12, 1912, and lasting until June 1913. From September 22, 1913, until April 1915, Osburn saw shore duty at the U.S. Naval Academy, and then on May 13, 1915, returned to sea duty on board the presidential yacht USS Mayflower (PY-1), being promoted to lieutenant on July 29, 1915. He received promotion to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander on July 1, 1919. Osburn took command of USS Schenck (DD-159), a recently commissioned destroyer of wartime construction, and conducted patrols in the Caribbean until September 1921, when he was assigned to USS Relief (AH-1).

On December 18, 1922, Osburn was assigned as the naval inspector of ordnance at the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company in Rochester, New York, remaining there until March 1925. On April 14, 1925, Osburn took command of the newly re-commissioned USS Dallas (DD-199), which lasted until June 1927.

Returning to shore duty on January 20, 1932, with the Bureau of Navigation, Osburn received his promotion to captain on October 1, 1933. He then returned to sea on July 27, 1934, in command of USS Henderson (AP-1), a billet which he held until June 1936. On June 30, 1936, Osburn returned to shore duty with the 12th Naval District in San Francisco.

In 1937 he was made the Director, Naval Reserves, for the 12th Naval District.[9] Osburn retired with the rank of captain in 1939 but was recalled to active duty in 1941 to serve as the war plans officer of the 12th Naval District, San Francisco until 1945.[6]

Personal life

After the Second World War Osburn settled with his wife, Mary, at St. Helena, in the Napa Valley, California, where he died on December 28, 1966.[4]

Osburn's widow donated his collection of medals, trophies and memorabilia to the Naval Historical Foundation in 1967 by his widow. These artifacts are now in the custody of the Naval History and Heritage Command's Curatorial Management Branch.

Osburn was inducted into the USA Shooting Hall of Fame in 1994, where he is listed as being one of the country's nine greatest marksmen.[6][10]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carl Osburn.
  1. ↑ Biography: "Carl Osburn" Archived January 3, 2013, at archive.today www.hickoksports.com (Retrieved on February 24, 2008)
  2. ↑ "Carl Osburn". Olympedia. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  3. ↑ Profile: "Carl Osburn" Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on January 9, 2008)
  4. 1 2 3 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Carl Osburn". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  5. ↑ All-Time Leading USA Medal Winners Archived February 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. www.infoplease.com (Retrieved on February 24, 2008)
  6. 1 2 3 Captain Carl T. Osburn, USN 5 November 1884 – 28 December 1966 Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. history.navy.mil
  7. ↑ United States Naval Academy (1909). Annual Register of the U.S. Naval Academy. U.S. Government Print Office. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Papers of Captain Carl Townsend Osburn, USN". History.navy.mil. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Papers of Captain Carl Townsend Osburn, USN, 1903–1964". Naval Historical Center. November 29, 2006. Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Hall of Fame - Carl Osburn". usashooting.org. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
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