1. Gil Dodds was awarded the James E Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States in 1943.
13 Facts About Gil Dodds
1. 2.
Gilbert Lothair Dodds was born in Norcatur, Kansas, one of five children and the son of Rev and Mrs J G Dodds.
3.
The family moved to Falls City, Nebraska, when Rev Dodds became the minister at Falls City Brethren Church.
4.
Gil Dodds attended Falls City High School, where he became a distance runner, coached by Lloyd Hahn, a runner in the 1924 Summer Olympics who lived nearby.
5.
Gil Dodds was the state champion in the mile race in 1935,1936 and 1937 and held the state record at 4:28.1 when he graduated in 1937.
6.
On November 25,1940, Gil Dodds took his first national championship when he won the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship in East Lansing, Michigan.
7.
Gil Dodds was the AAU indoor mile champion in 1942,1944, and 1947.
8.
On March 11,1944, Gil Dodds broke the world indoor record for the mile run at the annual Knights of Columbus track meet in Madison Square Garden, New York City.
9.
One week later, Gil Dodds lowered his own world indoor mile record to 4:06.4 at Chicago Stadium on March 18,1944.
10.
Gil Dodds went on to work with the new "Youth for Christ" youth organization and became the track and cross country coach at Wheaton College.
11.
Gil Dodds tossed to the inquirer one of his warm-up shoes.
12.
Gil Dodds married Erma Louise Seeger, whom he met at Falls City High School.
13.
Gil Dodds was inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.