Carlton Lee Brosius (July 18, 1876 – September 28, 1956) was an

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officer, competitor in the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

tug of war Tug of war (also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war, rope pulling, or tugging war) is a sport in which two teams compete by pulling on opposite ends of a rope, with the goal of bringing the rope a certain distance in one direction against ...

, and nationally renowned physical trainer.

Biography

Brosius was born in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

on July 18, 1876. His father,

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, served in the 35th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment during the Civil War and became a prominent physical trainer in the Milwaukee area.

National Guard

Brosius enlisted into Company F of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (National Guard) in April 1896 and volunteered for service in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

in 1898. Brosius served in Company M of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment during the War, and was honorably discharged in August 1900. In July 1913, he re-enlisted into Company D of the 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment; he was transferred to Company F in April 1915 and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant two months later. Brosius was mustered into service for the

Mexican Border War The Mexican Border War, also known as the Border Campaign, refers to a series of military engagements which took place between the United States military and several Mexican factions in the Mexican–American border region of North America duri ...

in June 1916, where he commanded an infantry regiment. Having earned a sterling reputation as a physical trainer, Brosius remained stateside during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, going from camp to camp to implement training programs for American soldiers.

Olympic team and later life

After the war, Brosius participated in the VII Olympiad, which took place in

Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp (; ; ) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after Tournai and Couvin. With a population of 565,039, ...

in 1920. He was an alternate on the United States fencing team and the captain of the tug of war team; Brosius led his team to a fourth-place finish in the latter. Following the Olympics, Brosius worked as a physical trainer at

St. John's Northwestern Military Academy St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (SJNMA) was founded in 1884 as St. John's Military Academy (SJMA) in Delafield, Wisconsin, by the Rev. Sidney T. Smythe as a private, college preparatory school. In 1995, Northwestern Military and Naval Ac ...

Delafield, Wisconsin Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Bark River. The population was 7,185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The city of Delafield is a separate municipality from the Tow ...

. He also served as director of Brosius Gymnasium, Inc. in Milwaukee during the 1930s, following in the footsteps of his father. In 1936 Brosius became adjutant at the Grand Army Home in King, Wisconsin. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he took over the role of Commandant, but returned to the adjutant position in 1945. Two years later, Brosius retired, but remained at the Grand Army Home. Brosius helped found a museum at King, which was dedicated as the "Carl L. Brosius Memorial Museum" in March 1955. He died at the Grand Army Home on 28 September 1955.

References

External links

Brosius Heads U.S. Team: A Wisconsin Soldier in the 1920 Olympics
online exhibit at

Wisconsin Veterans Museum The Wisconsin Veterans Museum, located on Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, is dedicated to telling the stories of the veterans of the state of Wisconsin. The museum comprises two galleries that chronicle the history of Wisconsi ...

Olympic profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brosius, Carlton 1876 births 1956 deaths Sportspeople from Milwaukee People from Waupaca County, Wisconsin Olympic tug of war competitors for the United States Tug of war competitors at the 1920 Summer Olympics American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Military personnel from Milwaukee