Carl V. Spencer won his first bicycle championship in 1935 and he continued to win championships until he joined the Marines in 1941. He was assigned to the Navy Pier in Chicago as an aircraft mechanic, but he used his weekend bike riding as a recruiting tool. He was discharged in 1943 due to a chronic illness. He worked as a hotel clerk until he got a job with the American Perforator Company, which he soon came to own. In 1975 he rode across the United States from New York to San Diego in order to honor the 200th Anniversary of the Marine Corps. He was 56 years old.
From the description of Carl V. Spencer Transcontinental Bicycle Tour papers, 1974-1975. (University of Wyoming, American Heritage Center). WorldCat record id: 62715429
