Samuel “Speedy” Alexander LaBeach was born in Panama City and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. He was the son of Samuel A. LaBeach Sr., a Panama Canal worker and taxi business owner, and Julia Louise Johnston LaBeach, a homemaker.
He came from an athletic family; his brothers were runners, boxers, and football and cricket players.
Morgan State coach Eddie Hurt heard of his running prowess and invited him to visit the school. Mr. LaBeach was later offered a scholarship and became a standout sprinter. He attended Morgan from 1947 to 1951.
Mr. LaBeach ran the first leg of the mile relay for the famous flyers of the 1948-50 teams and found time to play football and tennis.
In addition to being a member of the championship relay teams, Mr. LaBeach was the indoor 500-yard champion in 1949, 1950, 1951 and outdoor SAA champion in 1950 and 1951.
In 1951, Mr. LaBeach was the 500 and 400-yard dash champion in Montreal, Canada; 220 and 440-yard dash champion in Woodside, New Jersey; and District of Columbia AAU champion. He ran the first leg of he mile relay team which broke the University of Pennsylvania’s Relay record.
He also ran at the Central American Games in Guatemala and the 1951 Bolivian Games.
Mr. LaBeach was considered one of Morgan’s top 440-yard dash runners. In 1951, World Track and Field News named him one of the six best quarter-milers in the world.
In 1952, he represented Panama in the Olympic Games in Helsinki. A hamstring injury prevented him from competing.
He was inducted into Morgan’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.
Mr. LaBeach majored in biology and intended to become a dentist. He also had a minor in physical education.
He later earned a master’s degree at Howard University and a second at the Catholic University of America, where he received a degree in social work. He also worked toward his doctoral degree at the University of Maryland.
He met his future wife, Nellvina “Nell” Ming, on the Morgan State campus. She was the school’s infirmary nurse.
Mr. LaBeach’s civic affiliations are of numerous to name. He received a number of awards of which the two most prominent are: the Mayor’s Award for Development of the U.S. Youth Games; and Outstanding Job Performance from the D.C. Department of Recreation. Sam has written many publications.
Mr. LaBeach retired in 1987 as deputy director of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation.
He played tennis after he stopped running and was a co-founder of the D.C. Marathon, the predecessor to the Marine Corps Marathon.
Mr. LaBeach was inducted into the DC Department of Recreation Hall of Fame in 1991.
He later sold automobiles and went on to become track coach at the University of the District of Columbia.
Afterward, Mr. LaBeach worked at the Department of the Interior and retired a second time.
He belonged to the DC Recreation and Park Society and the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.
Mr. LaBeach also belonged to the Metropolitan Washington Soccer Referee Association and was a soccer referee for 15 years. He was a referee at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Howard and Catholic universities.
He was a past board member of the Police Boys Club and the Caribbean American Intercultural Organization.
He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
Mr. LaBeach belonged to Morgan’s Varsity “M” Club and was chairman of the One Hundred-Dollar Club Athletic Endowment Fund, which awarded scholarships to Morgan athletes.
He raised more than $400,000 for athletic scholarships.
Mr. LaBeach died of complications from old age Nov. 22, 2022 at his Washington, D.C., home. He was 98.
