CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — A member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe sold his Boston Marathon trophies to feed his family. Now, his granddaughter is working to track them down.
Ellison Brown’s victories include the 1936 and 1939 marathons, and he even broke the American record in 1939.
“Sometimes things are in the basement or in the attic or just thrown in a heap some place,” Anna Brown-Jackson told 12 News. “So instead of it just laying there, we would like to have something to represent him.”
Brown-Jackson said the stories of her grandfather’s accomplishments and how he overcome poverty and discrimination have lived on, and having his trophies would further inspire younger generations.
“I think it also gives people hope. It gives young people hope: ‘Hey, look what I could accomplish if I keep trying,'” she explained. “You really don’t know until you try and you have to work hard at that.”
Anyone with information on Ellison Brown’s trophies is asked to email Brown-Jackson at TarzanBrownMarathon@gmail.com.
