Our next inductee reminds me of a movie I saw a few years ago. And when I finish this bio, I think you will agree with me as to why. The movie was “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” It's about an older gentleman who ages chronologically backwards, everyday he gets younger and younger. Our next inductee for many years was like Benjamin Button and seemed to defy the aging process. With this in the back of our minds let me know introduce to you Carl Wallin, Milton High class of 1959. If you didn't like my first analogy, I'll use one more cliché, like a fine bottle of wine he just keeps getting better with age. While at Milton High School Carl's track career began inauspiciously enough as a hurdler. Carl ran a respectable time of 14.7, but not the stuff scholarships were made of. A turning point in his career was while as a junior and while warming up for one of his races, he heard this primal scream coming from the other side of the track. He went over to investigate all the commotion? It that there was a shot putter throwing about 51'8”. Carl remembers the scene vividly and thought to himself that this was the event he wanted to compete in. By the end of his high school career, he had become a 48'7.5” thrower. Again, nothing that scholarships are made of. So Carl went off to Wentworth Institute and while training at the old armory he caught the eye of two people, Jerry Patton and Erwin Cohen, both coaches at Northeastern University. After working with this young man, they offered Carl a full scholarship to NU. He continued to progress from 52, to 55, to 58 and then finally became the first New Englander to throw the 16 pound shot over 60 feet. As a result of his outstanding career, in 1976 NU inducted Carl into their Hall of Fame. It has just taken us 35 years to recognize that. This is what the NU Hall of Fame committee said about Wallin at his induction: “In his junior year of 1964, and senior year, 1965, he was elected to the All America track teams. As a junior, he took a third in the NCAA shot put and as a senior, a second. In his senior season, he won both the indoor and outdoor IC4A titles. His AAU records and titles are too numerous to list. Wallin's best throw was a 61'6 1/2" effort. In between going undefeated in the shot put in 48 consecutive indoor and outdoor dual meets, he took time out to win a football letter in 1964. As a member of the United States touring track team, he competed all over Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.” After Carl's competitive collegiate career was over, his throwing career certainly was not. Now we don't have enough time to mention too much about his 40 years of coaching at Dartmouth College. And the fact that he: “... established himself as one of the nation's top field coaches -- overall, he coached 29 All-Americans, 38 New England champions, 87 Heptagonal titleists and 15 IC4A and ECAC champions in 40 years at Dartmouth College. His athletes have set every Dartmouth field event record.” OH! Also, we don't have time to mention that he coached one of our nations greatest shot putters in recent history in Olympian Adam Nelson, a 73'10.25” thrower. Getting back to Benjamin Button. At the age of 40 Carl set a world record in the 5 event throwing competition when he threw the 16 lbs. Shot 58'10”, the hammer 170'2”, the discus 145' the 35 lbs. Weight 57'3” and the javelin 160'2”. Then at the age of 47 he did it again, he won the world 5 event throwing championship when he threw the shot 51'7” the hammer 150' the discus 127' the weight 48' and the javelin140'. So as you can see I believe Carl Wallin is just getting younger and younger every year. He is a great example for all of us here in this room and all the athletes at this meet to look up to emulate. Carl now lives in Lebanon, N.H. with his wife, Bonnie. They have two children, John, the assistant track coach at Adams State in Colorado, and Lisa, who is a school teacher in Dedham, Mass. and an assistant track coach at Tufts.
Class: 1959 Inducted: 2011