William Leushner

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William Leushner (born 1864 in Cookstown, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, d. October 25, 1935 Buffalo NY) was a competitive Rifle shooter. As a teenager he moved to Buffalo NY and joined the United States National Guard. In the 1908 London Olympics he won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. military rifle team, having the highest individual score in the team competition. In the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, Leushner won a silver medal in the "team running deer, single shot 100 meters" competition (targets, not actual deer were used) and two bronze medals, finishing third in the "small-bore rifle teams 25 meters", and "small-bore rifle teams 50 meters". William Leushner finished his Olympic career at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium in which for the first time he failed to medal. He was three time winner of the National Rifle Association of America's (N.R.A.) Members Trophy, winning the inaugural contest in 1901, and taking the title again in 1903 and 1908.

As a member of the U.S. National Guard Leushner served on the Mexican border [[1]] with the 74th regiment. He served as a marksmanship instructor at camp Parry during the first World War and one year with the American Army of Occupation from 1919-1920. He was eventually made Lt. Colonel in the reserve corps. William F. Leushner passed away October 25, 1935 at age 71, in his home Buffalo. He had no children and was survived by his widow and several Canadian relatives.

[edit] Titles

Olympic gold medal 1908 military rifle team competition.
Olympic silver medal 1912 team running deer, single shot
Olympic bronze medal 1912 small-bore rifle teams 25 meters
Olympic bronze medal 1912 small-bore rifle teams 50 meters
N.R.A. Member's trophy 1901
N.R.A. Member's trophy 1903
N.R.A. Member's trophy 1908

[edit] Sources

Buffalo News 7-17-1908 'big reception for yankee marksmen' byline 'the news bureau' Washington, D.C.
Buffalo News, 10-26-1935 'W.F. Leushner, ill 10 days, dies', obituary, no author given
Buffalo News 10-11-1930 'Buffalo athletes won many world honors in sportdom, byline Gene Korzelius
The Complete Book of the Olympics, by David Wallechinsky
Buffalo Courier 10-26-35 'noted soldier, olympic star, taken by death', obituary, no byline.