Edward F. Shea was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his achievements in the sports of cross country and track and field.
Shea, Class of 1955, died suddenly and tragically in a canoeing accident at the age of 27 near Washington, D. C.; at the time of his death, Shea had been studying at the academy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An outstanding miler, middle distance man and cross country competitor, Shea lettered three years in both track and cross country from 1952 to 1954, when he was co-winner of the Northeastern Alumni Track Trophy as Most Valuable track athlete. Before hanging up the running flats on Huntington Avenue, Shea fashioned a string of collegiate indoor, outdoor and cross country banners. He warmed up for the winter and spring seasons by outdueling legendary Marathoner Johnny Kelley, Jr. for the New England Cross Country Championship in 1953, after finishing second in 1952.
Shea was the IC4A two-mile champion in 1954, and he won the New England AAU crowns for the three-mile in 1954 and 1955. His endurance was a popular topic too, as in a dual meet versus UConn, Shea won both the mile and two-mile in the same day. Along the way, Shea would also be inducted into the Northeastern Track Club Hall of Fame, and the MVP award for cross country is now the Edward Shea Award.
Following his star-studded collegiate career, he ran down many championship fields in road races throughout New England while representing the Northeastern Alumni Association, and subsequently the U.S. Army where in 1956 he attained the rank of First Lieutenant.
