Born January 26, 1908, Hardinsburg, Ky. Died March 27, 1990.

Outstanding in track and field as both an athlete and coach, Percy Beard was a world-class hurdler with both Auburn University and the New York A.C. He set a world 120-yard high hurdles record of 14.2 in 1931 and tied the record in 1934.

A seven-time National AAU high hurdles champion, Beard was the silver medalist at the 1932 Olympic Games, finishing second to George Saling after hitting the sixth hurdle. Beard later became an outstanding coach at the University of Florida from 1937 to 1964, using his civil engineering education to become a pioneer in the development of all-weather tracks. While at Auburn, his coach was Wilbur Hutsell, also a Hall of Fame enshrinee.