The legacy of the Lary family grew recently as Tuscaloosa native Joe Lary was honored by Marquis Who’s Who, a group that begun recognizing individuals for significant accomplishments in various fields in 1899, for his achievements in health science and athletics.
The Lary family originally made its name on the diamond, as Joe’s uncles Frank, Al, and Gene all played Major League Baseball. Frank was a three time All Star pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Al was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, and Gene pitched for the Cleveland Indians.
Joe found his athletic prowess on the track, and begun competing in field events leading up to college. In 1964, Joe Lary arrived to the campus of the University of Alabama as a freshman, and twice earned a letter as a member of the UA track team.
Lary got his inspiration to compete in track while watching a documentary on Hall of Fame halfback Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States, as Thorpe competed in the Pentathlon and Decathlon at the Stockholm Olympic Games in 1912.
Lary said that the times he recorded in the decathlon would’ve tied Thorpe’s time at the Stockholm Olympics, and Lary’s record time would’ve bested Thorpe’s Pentathlon time that year.
“I competed as a member of the USA Masters Track and Field team at a world championship event down in Florida,” Lary said. “I won three medals for the united states: silver medals in the shot putt and triple jump, but I also won the bronze medal in the hammer throw.”
Lary’s fondest athletic memories came from those medals won while competing for Team USA. However, the most rewarding moment of Lary’s career came from his research studies.
“Epidemiology is the most rewarding thing I have done,” Lary said. “I was able to help prevent people from getting all types of serious birth defects. I loved that job.”
Lary is now retired and living in Tuscaloosa, where he is originally from.