Charles Everett "Charlie" Dumas (February 12, 1937 – January 5, 2004) was an American
high jump
The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
er, the 1956
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
champion, and the first person to clear 7 ft.(2.13 m)
While attending
Compton College, near Los Angeles, Dumas, from
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, made his memorable jump on June 29, 1956, in the
US Olympic Trials in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, breaking a barrier previously thought unbreakable.
This jump not only ensured him of a place in the American Olympic team, but also made him the top favorite for the gold medal at the
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
. In
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, he did not disappoint, and grabbed the title in a new Olympic Record.
Next, he enrolled at the
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...
, winning the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
track and field title with the university team in 1958. In 1960, Dumas competed in his second
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, but a knee injury during the competition prevented him from winning a second medal, finishing 6th.
After his career, in which he won five consecutive national high jump titles, Dumas became a teacher, working at several schools in the Los Angeles area (including
Jordan High School in Watts). He died of cancer at age 66 in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
. He left behind three children: Keasha Dumas, Kyle Dumas and Ianna Dumas.
He started his jumping career as a student first at
Thomas Jefferson High School in
South Central Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown.
It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as a ...
for 2 years. As a sophomore, he finished tied for 4th place at the 1953
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direc ...
for Jefferson. As a junior and senior he jumped for
Centennial High School in
Compton
Compton may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Compton (electoral district), a former Quebec federal electoral district
* Compton (provincial electoral district), a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton
* Compton, Que ...
finishing second in 1954 and winning the state championship by four and a half inches in 1955. He was ''
Track and Field News
''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on runni ...
'' "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1955.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dumas, Charles
1937 births
2004 deaths
Sportspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma
American male high jumpers
Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1959 Pan American Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
USC Trojans men's track and field athletes
American masters athletes
Track and field athletes from Oklahoma
Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Jefferson High School (Los Angeles) alumni
Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games