As an 18-year-old schoolboy, Charlie Dumas caused a sensation when he tied for first place in the 1955 AAU high jump. The following year he won the AAU and became the first man to break the seven-foot barrier when he cleared 7-0⅝ (2.15) at the Final Trials, going on to win the Olympic gold as well. Dumas won the AAU again in 1957, 1958 and 1959 but he never won the NCAA during his years at Southern Cal. After winning the 1959 Pan American Games he placed sixth at the 1960 Olympics and then retired. In 1964 he attempted a comeback and, after clearing 7-0¼ (2.14) in April, he finished second in the Coliseum Relays but did not finish the season. He later worked as a high school teacher and coach. Inducted into the U.S. Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1990, Dumas died at age 66 of cancer.
Personal Best: HJ – 7-0⅝ (2.15) (1956).
United States