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Alberto Byington
Brazilian hurdler / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alberto Jackson Byington Jr. (18 May 1902 – 17 December 1964) was a Brazilian athlete, industrialist and filmmaker.[1][2]
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he spent time in both the U.S. and Brazil and attended Harvard University for three years, graduating in 1924 with a degree in History and Iberian Literature.[1][2] He played association football at Harvard and also was selected to represent Brazil at the 1924 Summer Olympics, competing in the men's 110 metres hurdles.[2][3]
Byington became a noted innovator in Brazil, following in the footsteps of his father who invested in Brazil's first electrical grids.[2] He was active in the radio broadcasting business and founded the first record, motion picture and air conditioning establishments in the country's history.[2] In 1931, he produced Coisas Nossas, the first sound film in the country.[1] He made over a dozen films between 1925 and 1944.[1]
Byington was a described in an obituary as a "strong advocate of free enterprise and democracy".[2] He attended the University of São Paulo in later years and received a degree in Legal and Social Sciences; he fought class action lawsuits in opposition to two Presidents of Brazil.[1] He died on 17 December 1964.[2]