Thomas W. C. Birge '48

A one-man team in both football and track, Tommy Birge set records left and right in both sports. According to one of the many nominations he received, Mr. Birge was considered the premier running back in Virginia, perhaps on the East Coast, during both his junior and senior years at EHS. As a senior, he was captain of the football team, excelling in two positions: running back and defensive back. He had the highest rushing average, he punted, he kicked extra points, and he was also the leading pass receiver. The highest scorer in the Washington area (scoring 17 times in seven games), he was All-Metropolitan and All-State.
State champion in the shot put, he set a school record and threw the discus 127 feet in practice, farther than the school record. He also broad jumped and threw the javelin.
He served as a Monitor, President of the "E" Club, and Head Waiter. He was awarded the football prize and the Rinehart Medal for Athletic Worth. He graduated from Virginia Military Institute, where he played varsity football for three years.
Mr. Birge retired from the Air Force as a colonel. One supporter of his nomination detailed his aviation achievements with the following comment: "He was a fighter pilot and was decorated for heroism with the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Crosses, Air Medals, etc." – a casual summation that speaks volumes of how his life after Episcopal was one of continued achievement and heroics. Mr. Birge lives in Arlington, Virginia.
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