John Gilbert "Jack" Beckner (June 9, 1930 – November 16, 2016) was an American artistic gymnast, coach and referee. He competed at the

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

and

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

with the best individual result of seventh place on the vault and horizontal bar in 1956. His elder brother Dick was also part of the 1956 Olympic gymnastics team. Beckner won the individual AAU all-around title in 1956–59. At the 1955 and 1959 Pan American Games he collected 8 gold medals, which remains one of the best achievements for any American athlete. Beckner was born to Lola and Andrew Vernon Beckner. He studied at Los Angeles Valley College and the University of Southern California, graduating in 1953. In 1962 he earned a master's degree at the University of Southern California and coached there from 1969 to 1981. Previously he was a PE teacher and gymnastics coach and mentor at Van Nuys Jr High School from 1960 to 1967, then spent a year at Eagle Rock High School before becoming the gymnastics coach at USC. He also acted as the head coach for the 1968 USA gymnastics team for the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

and served as a national and international judge. He was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame (1976), National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame (1989), USC Hall of Fame (2005) and Los Angeles High Schools Sports Hall of Fame (2011). Beckner was married to Barbara Blaine, they had three children. He died in his sleep aged 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckner, Jack 1930 births 2016 deaths American male artistic gymnasts Gymnasts at the 1952 Summer Olympics Gymnasts at the 1956 Summer Olympics Gymnasts at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic gymnasts for the United States Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics Gymnasts at the 1955 Pan American Games Gymnasts at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Gymnasts from Los Angeles