National AAU Track & Field Championship History (1948 – 1960)
1948
Herb McKenley set a 400 meters world record in the heats of 45.9.
Harrison Dillard’s 82 consecutive win streaks ends with a loss in the 100 to Barney Ewell and in the high hurdles to Bill Porter.
Gil Dodd wins the 1500 meters in 3:52.1.
New York Athletic Club with 84 points wins the team title over Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Lloyd LaBeach wins the 200 meters in 21.1.
1949
The 61st National AAU championship was held in Fresno, California.
Charley Moore - Cornell slashed half a second off the American record with a 51.6 400 meter hurdle time.
Fred Wilt 28 year FBI man won the 10K in 31:05.7 breaking Don Lash’s American record of 31:06.9.
Jim Fuchs – Yale recorded the second best shot put mark on record of 57’ 2 1/8.”
Andy Stanfield was a double winner in the 100 and 200 meters in 10.3 and 20.4w.
Bob Richards won the pole vault with a jump of 14’ 4.”
Two world records holders were beat Herb McKenley in the 400 by George Rhoden, and Harrison Dillard in high hurdles by Craig Dixon.
1951
Parry O’Brien handed Jim Fuchs his first defeat in 89 starts at the shot put with a toss of 55’ 9 ¼.”
Fred Wilt beat Wes Santee in the 5,000 meters 14:47.5 to 14:52.4.
Henry Lasku won his 4th consecutive 3,00 meter walking championship in 13:13.2.
The Los Angles Athletic Club with 131 points beat the New York Athletic Club with 120 points for the team title.
1952
Curtis Stone was a double winner in the 10K and 5K.
Curtis Stone won the 10K in 30:37.4 in a meet record over Fred Wilt 30:40.9, Horace Ashenfelter 30:45.8, Browning Ross 31:03.5 and Gordon McKenzie 31:30.1.
Mal Whitfield the greatest middle distance runner of his era won the 400 meters over George Rhoden in 46.4.
Wes Santee recorded the 3rd fastest 1500 meter time of 3:49.3 recorded in AAU history.
Reggie Pearman of the New York Pioneer Club won the 800 meters in 1:53.5.
After 4 false starts, Harrison Dillard won the 110 meter hurdles for the 3rd time in a windy 13.7.
1953
Yards vs. meters were used in track events for the first time since 1931.
Walt Davis set a high jump world record of 6’ 11 5/8.”
Marty Engel New York Pioneer Club won the hammer throw with a mark of 186’ 9.”
George Brown neared 26 feet with a 25’ 10 ¾” long jump leap. Only two men Eulace Peacock & Jesse Owens have bettered 26 feet.
1954
Horace Ashenfelter won the 3 mile championship over Gordon McKenzie in
14:18.5.
Bob Richards won the pole vault in 15’ 3 ½”.
Josh Culbreath set a meet record of 52.0 in the 440 yard hurdles.
Art Bragg was a double winner in the 100 and 200 in 9.5 and 21.1.
1955
Arnie Sowell wins the 880 in 1:47.6 just missing the unofficial world record.
Parry O’ Brien was the meet’s only double winner in the shot put and discus.
Henry Laskau won his 8th consecutive championship with a win in the 2 mile walk in 15:09.4.
1956
Bobby Morrow tied the 100 meter world record in the heats with a 10.2.
African American Middle Distance Running History:
Jerome Walters of the Los Angeles Striders wins the national championship in the 1500 meters over Fred Dwyer.
Horace Ashenfelter broke the oldest meet record in the AAU books in the steeplechase in 9:04.1 to snap Harold Manning’s standard of 9:13.1 set in 1934.
1956 Olympic 10k participants were selected from this meet – Max Truex 30:52, Dick Hart 31:06.3 and Gordon McKenzie 31:06.8.
Charles Dumas wins the high jump with a leap of 6’ 10.”
Jack Davis sets the 110 meter hurdles world record in the heats with a time of 13.4.
Lee Cahoun won the 110 hurdles in 13.6 putting him 3rd on the all-time list.
Charlie Pratt beat Rafer Johnson in the 200 meter low hurdles in 22.8.
1957
Considered the poorest national AAU championship meet in many years. Held in Dayton, Ohio was badly staged and bad officiating.
African American Middle Distance Running History:
Deacon Jones set an American record in the 2 mile steeplechase of 9:49.6.
Glen Davis set an American record in 440 Hurdles in 50.9.
Doug Kyle broke Gordon McKenzie American record for 6 miles with a time of 29:22.8. The previous record was 29:28.1.
Doug Kyle 29:22.8
Jerry Smart 29:48
John Kelley 30:01
Robertson 30:16
Dick Hart 30:19
Bob Carmen 30:21
Dean Thackwray 30:30
Gar Williams 30:33
Browning Ross 30:38
Rudy Mendez 30:40
1958
Bobby Morrow was a double winner in 100 9.4 and 220 20.9.
Glen Davis set a world record in the 440 Hurdles in 49.9 over Josh Culbreath.
Eddie Southern wins the 440 in 45.8 the second fastest time ever. Charlie Jenkins 46.1 was the fastest non-winning time ever.
The greatest competitive mile ever in the US saw Herb Elliott break the world record in 3:57.9.
African American Middle Distance Running History:
Charles Deacon Jones ran 8:57.3 for the fastest steeplechase ever run in the U.S.
Harold Connolly threw the hammer 225 ’ 4” for a world record in winning over Al Hall in what was described as the best competition in the history of this event.
1959
Ray Norton won both the 100 10.5 and 200 20.8.
Al Oerter threw the discus 186’ 5” for a meet record.
Parry O ‘Brien threw the shot put 62’ 2 ¼” for a meet record.
Dyrol Burleson won the 1500 meters in 3:47.5 for a meet record.
Elliott Denman of the New York Pioneer Club wins the 3,000 meter walk in 13:52.2.
1960
19 year old John Thomas jumped 7’ 2” for a high jump world record.
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