 Patton (left) with coachDean Cromwell in 1948 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | November 16, 1924 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Died | May 9, 2014 (aged 89) Fallbrook, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (159 lb) | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||
Event | Sprint | ||||||||||||||
| Club | USC Trojans | ||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Dean Cromwell[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||
| Personalbest(s) | 100 y - 9.2 (1948) World record[2] 100 m – 10.44 (1948) 200 m – 20.7 (1948)[3] 200 y 20.2 (1949) World record[3] | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Melvin Emery Patton (November 16, 1924 – May 9, 2014) was an American sprinter, who set the world record of 9.2 seconds in the100-yard dash (91.44 metres) in 1948.[2] He also set a 220 yd world record in 1949 ona straightaway of 20.2, breaking the record held byJesse Owens.[3]
Patton won twogold medals at the1948 Summer Olympics. He was ranked first in the world in the 100 m and 200 m events in 1947 and 1949.[3]
Born inLos Angeles, California, Mel Patton orPell Mell, as he was nicknamed in the late 1940s, made his mark in track and field while a student at theUniversity of Southern California, where he was coached byDean Cromwell. During his collegiate years, Patton was a member of the Delta-Eta chapter ofKappa Sigma fraternity. He also attendedUniversity High School in Los Angeles.
Patton won theNCAA100-yard dash in 1947 and in 1948 and 1949 completed the 100 and220 ydsprint double at that same meet. In 1947 he tied the 100 yd dashworld record of 9.4, which he lowered it 9.3 the following year. In 1949, he set a 220 yd world record ona straightaway of 20.2, breaking the record held byJesse Owens.[3]
In the Olympic Trials, he lost toBarney Ewell in the 100 m final, then in the 1948 Summer Olympics placed fifth in the 100 m. He later won two gold medals in the 200 m and the4 × 100 m relay.[4]
After retiring from competition, Patton participated in several professional races in Australia. Then he worked as a teacher and athletics coach atLong Beach City College andWichita State University before becoming an executive in the aerospace and electronics industries. Previously he served in the U.S. Navy as a seaman and aviator during World War II. In the 1970s, Patton helped develop the national sports program inSaudi Arabia. He was inducted into theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1985,[1] and died inFallbrook, California on May 9, 2014.[3][5]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing United States | |||||
| 1948 | Olympics | London,England | 5th | 100 m | |
| 1948 | Olympics | London,England | 1st | 200 m | 21.1 |
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USTFCCCA Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame | ||
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| Class of 2022 |
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| Class of 2023 | ||
| Class of 2024 | ||
