OLYMPICS 1956 Melbourne
American high jumper CHARLES DUMAS, 20, clears the bar during the high jump at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Summer Games. Charles Everett Charlie Dumas was an American high jumper, the 1956 Olympic champion, and the first person to clear 7 ft. Born: February 12, 1937, Tulsa, OK. Olympic gold medal in: Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics Men's high jump. In June 29, 1956, Charles Dumas sent a shock through the track and field world when he became the first person to jump seven feet. His clearance of 7 0 1/2 at the Olympic Trials broke a major human barrier. A straddler with a very smooth technique, Dumas went on to win the gold medal in the event with an Olympic record of 6 11 1/4'. Dumas won or shared five straight national high jump titles and was ranked first in the world twice during that period. Also an excellent hurdler, Dumas starred at both Compton Junior College and the University of Southern California
