Joseph “Joe” Lapierre Boston Commerce High School 1948. Can you imagine being a junior in high school and running your first competitive mile race? Then just one year later, being crowned the National High School Champion. That was Joe Lapierre. In June of 1947 Joe was the first Boston high school runner ever to compete in the mile run. The occasion was the New England outdoor interscholastic Meet in Newton. He finished 6th. In the winter of his senior year the mile race was being included in the Boston meets and in the State Meet for the first time. That winter Joe LaPierre never lost a mile race in the 101st Infantry Armory. In the State Meet he won the Class A mile in the best time of the day. Then the high light of that winter took place on Saturday February 21, 1948 he won the National Indoor Mile Championship. His time of 4:33.6 was good enough to out lean Randolph Philbotts of Morris H.S. New York, and was Joe’s high school PR. A year later, at Seton Hall Prep School, Joe found himself in the National Prep School mile final. This time around he would have to face off against MSTCA Hall of Famer Carl Joyce also a graduate of Boston Commerce and at Seton Hall Prep, Joe finished 2nd to Carl, but ran a PR 4:25. The Next year both Carl Joyce and Joe would follow their Seton Hall prep coach Frank Sevigne to Georgetown University on a track scholarship. What a catch for the Hoyas. It would be at Georgetown that Joe LaPierre would develop into a world-class runner. Back in the day, college freshman were not allowed to participate at the varsity level. But as soon as Joe’s sophomore year came along, what in impact he made. The only thing Joe did his sophomore year was to help set a world record in the 2-mile relay. Their time of 7:35.7 on an 11-lap track set the new standard. Coach Sevigne said of Joe’s leg, “I’m a lucky coach. Usually a coach settles for his slowest man on the second leg. LaPierre can run a 1:54. The leads he hands over to Joyce are important.” In summarizing Joe’s collegiate career you will find that he was an NCAA place winner in either the 1500 or mile run all three of his eligible years. In 1951 he was 4th in the mile, in 52 he was 2nd in the 1500 and again 4th in the mile in 53 with a time of 4:14.6. IN 1952 he was the IC4A outdoor mile champion with a time of 4:12.4. Also in 1953 Joe was the IC4A 2 mile champion with a time of 9:07.2. He was an “All American” in 1952 and 53. In 1952 he was a U.S. Olympic Trial Finalist with a 6th place finish in the 1500 in a time of 3:53.2. Between 1951 and 1955 Joe never finished worse than 6th in the National AAU Championships. As was the case for many men during those years, the United States Military called for duty to their country, Joe was no different. In 1955, Joe finished 2nd in the 3 mile inter-service x-country championships with a time of 15:09 and in the inter-service indoor mile, both times to Wes Sante, one of the top rated distance runners in the world at the time. Joe also represented the United States in international competition. Two such highlights were in 1953 when in Finland he finished 3rd in the 3000 with a time of 8:32. In 1955 Joe had a great mile race in England with Siegfried Herrmann of East Germany running 4:03.4, Joseph Barthel of Luxembourg just out leaned Joe with a 4:06.4 to Joe’s 3rd place time of 4:06.6. Unfortunately, Joe passed away in June of 2004. We are pleased that Joe’s family was able to make it here today to accept this award on his behalf. We ask that Joe’s wife Frances, daughters Denise, Patricia and Lynn come forward and can we please welcome Joseph LaPierre into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Athlete Hall of Fame.
Class: 1948 Inducted: 2009