Dorothy Dodson
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Lucille Dodson was a distinguished American
track and field
athlete whose career spanned the late 1930s through late 1940s; Dodson's specialty was the throwing events. From 1939 to 1949 - with the exception of 1940 - Dorothy participated in every U.S. AAU
Outdoor National Championships.
Born in Chicago, Illinois Dodson won eleven consecutive National Championships in the javelin throw
, 1939-49. She also won national titles in the shot put
- 1944, '46, and '47; adding a national championship in the discus throw
at the 1946 AAU Meet.
Dodson was also the gold medalist in the shot put at the U.S. AAU Indoor Championships - 1941, '45, and '46.
Like so many amateur athletes of the era, Dodson and her contemporaries were denied an opportunity to compete at the ill-fated 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games; a world at war would have to wait for such things. The crowning achievement of Dodson's career came in 1948, when she represented the United States
at the Summer Olympics in London
. Dodson competed in the shot put, discus, and javelin throw; she was a finalist in the javelin - finishing in fourth place - ten centimeters from a bronze medal
.
Dodson remains the last United States athlete, male or female, to compete in three throwing events at a single Olympic Games.
Dodson died at the age of 84, in Dunedin, Florida
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete whose career spanned the late 1930s through late 1940s; Dodson's specialty was the throwing events. From 1939 to 1949 - with the exception of 1940 - Dorothy participated in every U.S. AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Outdoor National Championships.
Born in Chicago, Illinois Dodson won eleven consecutive National Championships in the javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
, 1939-49. She also won national titles in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
- 1944, '46, and '47; adding a national championship in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
at the 1946 AAU Meet.
Dodson was also the gold medalist in the shot put at the U.S. AAU Indoor Championships - 1941, '45, and '46.
Like so many amateur athletes of the era, Dodson and her contemporaries were denied an opportunity to compete at the ill-fated 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games; a world at war would have to wait for such things. The crowning achievement of Dodson's career came in 1948, when she represented the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the Summer Olympics in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Dodson competed in the shot put, discus, and javelin throw; she was a finalist in the javelin - finishing in fourth place - ten centimeters from a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
Dodson remains the last United States athlete, male or female, to compete in three throwing events at a single Olympic Games.
Dodson died at the age of 84, in Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin, Florida
Dunedin is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The name comes from Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The population was 35,691 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632...
.