• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Indiana University IU

Open Search
  • About
    • History
    • Stories
  • Awards
    • University
      • Honorary Degrees
      • University Medal
      • Bicentennial Medal
    • Presidential
      • President’s Medal for Excellence
      • Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion
      • Distinguished Service Medal
    • Research & Creative Activity
      • Nobel Prize
      • National Academies
      • International Academies
      • MacArthur Fellowship
      • Pulitzer Prize
      • Guggenheim Fellowship
      • Fulbright Award
      • Andrew Carnegie Fellowship
      • Distinguished Professors
      • Titled Professors
      • Wylie Innovation Catalyst Medal
      • The Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers
    • Artistic & Performance
      • Emmy
      • Grammy
      • Oscar
      • Tony
    • Teaching
      • Frederic Bachman Lieber Memorial Award
      • Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award
      • President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching
      • Sylvia E. Bowman Award
      • Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award
      • President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Technology
      • Part-Time Teaching Award
      • Lieber Memorial Associate Instructor Award
    • Service
      • Chancellor and Provost Medallion
      • Distinguished International Service Award
      • John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Programs and Studies
      • E. Ross Bartley Award
      • W. George Pinnell Award for Outstanding Service
    • Historical
      • Bridging the Visibility Gap Initiative
      • IU Historical Marker Program
    • Student
      • Rhodes Scholarship
      • Marshall Scholarship
      • Mitchell Scholarship
      • Churchill Scholarship
      • Gates Cambridge Scholarship
      • Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad
      • Fulbright IIE
      • Goldwater Scholarship
      • Truman Scholarship
      • Boren Scholarship and Fellowship
      • Beinecke Scholarship
      • Udall Scholarship
      • Wells Senior Recognition Award
      • Stahr Distinguished Senior Award
      • Kate Hevner Mueller Outstanding Senior Award
    • Athletic
      • Olympians
      • IU Bloomington Athletics Hall of Fame
      • IUPUI Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame
      • Z.G. Clevenger Award
      • Leanne Grotke Award
      • Bill Orwig Award
    • Alumni
      • University Alumni Awards
      • Campus Alumni Awards
      • School Alumni Awards
    • Philanthropy
      • Partners in Philanthropy Award
      • Presidents Circle Laurel Pin
      • Indiana University Indianapolis Spirit of Philanthropy Award
      • IU Foundation President’s Medallion
  • Nominations
    • Teaching Awards
    • Service Awards
      • John W. Ryan Award
      • W. George Pinnell Award
    • Research and Creative Activity Awards
  • Events
    • Celebration of Teaching and Service Events
  • Search Awards
  • Contact Us

University Honors & Awards

  • Home
  • About
    • History
    • Stories
  • Awards
    • University
    • Presidential
    • Research & Creative Activity
    • Artistic & Performance
    • Teaching
    • Service
    • Historical
    • Student
    • Athletic
    • Alumni
    • Philanthropy
  • Nominations
    • Teaching Awards
    • Service Awards
    • Research and Creative Activity Awards
  • Events
    • Celebration of Teaching and Service Events
  • Search
  • Search Awards
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Awards

Don Lash

* Deceased

Don Lash

Awards

IUB Athletics Hall of Fame - 1982
Z.G. Clevenger Award - 1974
Olympians - 1936
Men's Track and Field
United States of America
Berlin, Germany
10,000M Run
8th
Olympians - 1936
Men's Track and Field
United States of America
Berlin, Germany
5,000M Run
14th

About Don Lash

One of the nation's top distance runners prior to World War II, Donald "Don" Lash won 12 national titles from 1934 to 1940, including seven in a row in cross country. This consistency prompted Sports Illustrated to call Lash "the first great American distance runner" and "possibly the best U.S. cross country runner ever." Lash's streak stood until Pat Porter broke it in 1989.

Growing up in Auburn, Indiana, Lash won the mile run at the 1933 state high school championship with a time of 4:30.5. At Indiana University, under Hall of Fame coach Billy Hayes, Lash finished third in his first cross country race. It was the last cross country race he ever lost. While a student at Indiana University, Lash set an American record at 10,000 meters, clocking 31:06.9.

Lash was still a collegian when he competed at the 1936 Olympics, placing 13th in the 5000m and 8th in the 10,000m. That summer he broke the legendary Paavo Nurmi's world record for the two mile, running 8:58.4. In 1938, Lash won the Sullivan Trophy as the nation's top amateur athlete. He was still winning national championships in 1940 but World War II snuffed out any chance for greater Olympic glory.

After college, Lash worked for the Indiana State Police, then became an agent for the FBI, a position he served in for 21 years. After retiring from law enforcement, he went into real estate. Lash also served as a trustee at Indiana from 1970 to 1972.

  • University
  • Presidential
  • Research & Creative Activity
  • Artistic & Performance
  • Teaching
  • Service
  • Historical
  • Student
  • Athletic
  • Alumni
  • Philanthropy
  • Office of the President

Indiana University

Accessibility | College Scorecard | Open to All | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2025 The Trustees of Indiana University