Hall of Fame
DR. H. PAUL NARCESSIAN '33 was introduced to the hammer throw by legendary Rhode Island track and field coach Fred Tootell. Narcessian was a member of the track teams from 1929-32. He earned his D.M.D. from Tufts University in 1936. During World War II, he was stationed in both Africa and Italy, where he served as a station hospital oral surgeon. In 1989, at the age of 77, he entered the Senior Olympics as a hammer thrower. Continuing to participate, Narcessian held eight world records and 17 U.S. records at the time of his induction. His sons Robert and Richard were both standout hammer throwers and are also members of the URI Athletic Hall of Fame. The Narcessians are the first to have three representatives from the same family in the Hall of Fame.
