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1915 - 1997
Class of 1974
Competitor, Influence on the Sport
Bow Designer, Developer, and Flight Shooter Extraordinaire
 Born in Kansas, May 7, 1915. Harry Drake was an early pioneer in the designing and building of the modern "composite" bow. Although Drake's bow won many State and National tournaments he will perhaps be best remembered for the deve1opment of flight bows, both foot and hand held.
Drake built the first bow to cast an arrow over 600 yards since the days of the ancient Turks. (May 31, 1947, Southern California Archery Association tournament - 603 yards). Bows built by Harry, have established more flight records than any other bowyer since man has recorded such things.
A Drake bow designed in 1964 shot a record of 1,077 yards on October 24, 1971 at Ivanpah Dry Lake
in the high desert
of California during the Official N.A.A. Flight Championships.
From an unlimited footbow, he conceived, designed and built, Harry Drake shot an arrow 2,028 yards.
In July of 1997, at the age of 83, Drake fell off his motor bike while returning from a flight tournament and died from complications.
Notes of Interest
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The Guineas Book of World Records recognizes one of his feats as the greatest distance any man has cast a missile by means of muscle power alone.
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For 29 straight years, since 1947, a Drake bow held the Men's National Flight record
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National Archery Association Flight Champion, 1951 and 58
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National Archery Association Professional Flight Champion, 1963, 64, 66, 67, 68, 71, 73, 74 and 76
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First person to shoot an arrow over one mile; accomplishing this at the 1971 National Flight Championships
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Bow designer and manufacturer
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Recipient, National Archery Association's, Thompson Medal of Honor, 1993
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