Mildred "Millie" Louise McDaniel-Singleton ( McDaniel, November 4, 1933 – September 30, 2004) was an American
athlete, who competed mainly in the women's
high jump event during her career.
Born in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, she attended
David T. Howard High School
David T. Howard High School was a school for African American students in Atlanta, Georgia. It has many prominent alumni. In 2018 the school was being renovated for a planned 2020 reopening as a middle school. Alumni include Martin Luther King Jr ...
. She competed for the United States at the
1956 Summer Olympics held 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 ...
,
Australia where she won the
gold medal in the women's high jump event. In the process, she beat the current world record holder,
Iolanda Balas and set a new
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
.
She attended the
Tuskegee Institute
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was de ...
where she played basketball. While there she was the
National Champion in 1953, 1955 and 1956. In 1983 she was inducted into the
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States at .
Exhibitions
The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Induc ...
.
Death
McDaniel-Singleton died of cancer, aged 70,
in
Pasadena, California.
References
External links
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* (cites November 3, 1933 as date of birth)
1933 births
2004 deaths
African-American female track and field athletes
American female high jumpers
Athletes (track and field) at the 1955 Pan American Games
Athletes (track and field) at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field)
Track and field athletes from Atlanta
Medalists at the 1955 Pan American Games
20th-century African-American women
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people
21st-century African-American women
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