Robert Howland

The holder of the English Native shot put record from 1930-49, Bob Howland never succeeded in winning an AAA outdoor title although he was twice the indoor champion (1935, 1938) and was the winner for Cambridge vs. Oxford three times (1926-28). Between 1929 and 1939 he was runner-up at the AAA Championships nine times with the title going to an overseas athlete each time. He was also second in the 1930 and 1934 British Empire Games. In the 1930 British Empire Games he also competed in discus throw. In the match against Germany in 1939, he equaled Don Finlay’s record of 20 international appearances for Britain, although Finlay extended his record to 23 after the war. “Bonzo” Howland showed the best for mof his career during a tour of South Africa in September 1935, setting six of the eight UK best performances in just 21 days. After taking a first-class honors degree in classics, he taught for two terms at Eton but resigned on being given a Fellowship at St. John’s College, Cambridge in 1929. Apart from an interruption for war service in the RAF, he spent the rest of his life as a don but remained active in athletics for many years. In 1950, at the age of 45, he won the Cambridgeshire shot title.

Personal Bests: SP – 14.86 (48-9) (1935); DT – 38.58 (126-7) (1935).