17 Facts About Mal Whitfield

Malvin Greston Whitfield was an American athlete, goodwill ambassador, and airman.

Mal Whitfield moved to the Watts district of Los Angeles when he was 4 years old.

Mal Whitfield's mother died when he was 12, after which he was raised by his older sister.

Mal Whitfield sneaked into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the 1932 Summer Olympic Games, where he watched Eddie Tolan defeat Ralph Metcalfe in the 100 meter race, an event that spurred his own Olympic goals.

Mal Whitfield joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Mal Whitfield earned a bronze medal in the 400 m At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, he repeated his 800 m victory.

Mal Whitfield set a world record at 880 yd of 1:49.2 in 1950 and dropped it to 1:48.6 in 1952.

In 1954, Whitfield became the first black athlete to win the James E Sullivan Award, given annually by the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States to the outstanding amateur athlete in the country.

Mal Whitfield narrowly missed making the 1956 Olympic team while a student at California State University, Los Angeles, and he retired from track competition shortly thereafter.

Mal Whitfield coached in 20 countries and lived in Kenya, Uganda and Egypt.

Mal Whitfield arranged sports scholarships for over 5,000 African athletes to study in the United States.

In 1954, Whitfield won the James E Sullivan Award for amateur athletics.

Mal Whitfield was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974, and Ohio State Varsity O Hall of Fame in 1978.

Mal Whitfield wrote the book Learning to Run, which was translated into French.

Mal Whitfield's memoir was published by his foundation and titled Beyond the Finish Line.

Mal Whitfield was the father of Nyna Konishi, Lonnie Whitfield, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield and accomplished high jumper Ed Wright.

Mal Whitfield died at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospice center in Washington, DC on the night of November 19,2015, aged 91.