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{{short description|American track and field athlete}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Arthur Duffey
| image       = File:Arthur Duffey.JPG
| caption     = 
| birth_name  = Arthur Francis Duffey
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1879|06|14}}
| birth_place = [[Roxbury, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1955|01|23|1879|06|14}}
| death_place = [[Arlington, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| occupation  = Athlete 
| children    = 5
| spouse      = Helen Louise Daley
}}

'''Arthur Francis Duffey''' (June 14, 1879 – January 23, 1955) was an American [[Track and field|track and field athlete]] who competed at the [[1900 Summer Olympics]] in [[Paris]], [[France]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78345 |title=Arthur Duffey |work=Olympedia |access-date=22 December 2020}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Duffey won four consecutive 100 yards British [[AAA Championships]] titles in [[1900 AAA Championships|1900]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/19000709/019/0001 |title=The Amateur Athletic Association Championships  |work=Sporting Life |date=9 July 1900 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref> 1901,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000901/19010708/059/0003 |title=The Amateur Championships  |work=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |date=8 July 1901 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref> 1902 and 1903.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref>

In 1902, whilst a student at [[Georgetown University]], Duffey ran a world record of 9.6 seconds for the 100 yards. Although equaled in 1906 by [[Daniel Kelly (athlete)|Dan Kelly]], it would be 27 years before it was finally bettered, by [[Eddie Tolan]].<ref>Track Trailblazer Dies, ''Portsmouth Herald'', January 25, 1955</ref>

In 1905 it was rumored that he was to marry the actress [[Mabel Hite]] and, as she was a divorcee, he would meet [[Pope Pius X]] in order to attain special dispensation to wed. The rumor proved false.<ref>Arthur Duffey to Wed Actress, ''Boston Post'', January 21, 1905</ref> Duffey finally married in 1911, to long-time friend Helen Louise Daley.<ref>Arthur Duffey Now Benedict, ''Boston Post'', February 23, 1911</ref>

In 1905 he confessed that he had been accepting sponsor money since 1898, and the [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] ordered all of his records expunged. In 1908 he attempted to form the National Protective Athletic Association (NPAA) to challenge the AAU.<ref>Quaker Athletes Fight the A.A.U., ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'', 1908-01-24</ref> Around this time Duffey was also involved in promoting professional athletes on the east coast racing circuit. One of those he worked with was the future [[Mercersburg Academy]] coach [[Jimmy Curran]].<ref>Indians to Race Shrubb, ''Boston Herald'', 1908-01-13</ref>

After retiring from athletics he became a sports writer for ''[[The Boston Post]]''.<ref>Arthur Duffey's Column, ''Boston Sunday Post'', 1911-08-12</ref> He also coached the [[Boston College]] and [[Boston College High School]] track teams.<ref>{{cite news |title=Duffey Appointed Coach |work=The Boston Globe |date=December 19, 1912}}</ref> He died of a [[heart attack]].<ref>Track Trailblazer Dies, ''Portsmouth Herald'', January 25, 1955</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web|last=De Wael|first=Herman|title=Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900"|access-date=18 March 2006|url=http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ath1900.html|archive-date=11 February 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211154257/http://users.skynet.be/hermandw/olymp/ath1900.html|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book | author = Mallon, Bill | year = 1998 | title = The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary | publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers | location = Jefferson, North Carolina | isbn = 0-7864-0378-0 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/1900olympicgames00mall }}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{USATF|new_id=arthur-duffey}}
* {{USATF Hall of Fame}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|org_archive=20160926035231}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{SR/Olympics|archive=20161203032924}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffey, Arthur}}
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1955 deaths]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1900 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Georgetown Hoyas men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Northeastern Huskies baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Worcester Academy alumni]]
[[Category:American male sprinters]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:The Boston Post people]]
[[Category:People from Roxbury, Boston]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Boston]]
[[Category:19th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Sportswriters from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:20th-century American writers]]
[[Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Boston College Eagles track and field coaches]]