Floyd Simmons
Personal information | |
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Born | April 10, 1923 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
Died | April 1, 2008(2008-04-01) (aged 84) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
Floyd Macon Simmons (April 10, 1923 – April 1, 2008) was an American athlete and actor who competed mainly in the Olympics decathlon in 1948 and 1952 winning bronze at both Olympic Games.[1] He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Biography
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Simmons was the son of a builder and former football coach of Davidson College. Nicknamed "Chunk" by his mother as he was her "little chunk of love". [1] Simmons played football for Central High School in Charlotte where he graduated in 1942.[2]
During World War II he served with the 10th Mountain Division, which he personally requested to be a part of. He was wounded in Italy. He received a purple heart merit award for his actions with the division.
He competed for the United States in the 1948 Summer Olympics held in London, England in the decathlon where he won the bronze medal. He repeated this feat four years later in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, where he again won the bronze medal.
I chose 10 events and not just one pigeonhole, I didn’t want to do just high hurdles or the shot. I wanted to do it all. I suppose I still do.[3]
In addition to competing in sports Simmons was contracted to Universal Pictures alongside Rock Hudson and John Gavin. Simmons guest starred in many television shows and appeared in over a dozen films most memorably in South Pacific (1958). He was considered for the role of Brick in the film version of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. as Allan Quatermain in Watusi[4] and was signed to play Mr. Roberts in a Joshua Logan television series of the same name that was unmade.[5]
Simmons continued to compete in Masters athletics into his 80s. He died in Charlotte, North Carolina at the age of 84.
Notes
External links
- Floyd Simmons at IMDb
- Floyd Simmons Obituary https://web.archive.org/web/20101126010007/http://masterstrack.com/2008/04/2528/
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- 1948 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
and road athletes
- Dick Ault
- Herb Barten
- Dave Bolen
- Cliff Bourland
- Bob Chambers
- Roy Cochran
- Ernest Crosbie
- John Deni
- Harrison Dillard
- Craig Dixon
- Clem Eischen
- Barney Ewell
- Don Gehrmann
- Herman Goffberg
- George Guida
- Art Harnden
- Johnny Kelley
- Jeff Kirk
- Henry Laskau
- Ollie Manninen
- Bob McMillen
- Eddie O'Toole
- Whitey Overton
- Mel Patton
- Bill Porter
- Clarence Robison
- Browning Ross
- Clyde Scott
- Fred Sharaga
- Roland Sink
- Curt Stone
- Jerry Thompson
- Ted Vogel
- Ernest Weber
- Adolf Weinacker
- Mal Whitfield
- Fred Wilt
- Lorenzo Wright (r)
- Bill Albans
- Bob Beckus
- Bob Bennett
- Martin Biles
- Bill Burton
- Jim Delaney
- Herb Douglas
- Henry Dreyer
- Dwight Eddleman
- Samuel Felton
- Vic Frank
- Jim Fuchs
- Fortune Gordien
- Erkki Koutonen
- Bob Likins
- Bob Mathias
- Vern McGrew
- Irving Mondschein
- Boo Morcom
- Bob Richards
- Steve Seymour
- Floyd Simmons
- Guinn Smith
- George Stanich
- Willie Steele
- Wilbur Thompson
- Lorenzo Wright
- Mae Faggs
- Nell Jackson
- Theresa Manuel
- Audrey Patterson
- Bernice Robinson
- Mabel Walker
- Jean Walraven
- Lillian Young
- Dean Cromwell (men's head coach)
- Emmett Brunson (men's assistant coach)
- Ward Haylett (men's assistant coach)
- Tom Jones (men's assistant coach)
- Emil Von Elling (men's assistant coach)
- Fred Travalena (road event coach)
- Catherine Meyer (women's coach)
[2] DigitalNC, Interview, Floyd Simmonshttps://lib.digitalnc.org/record/24744https://goldmine.charlotte.edu/index/render/pid/uncc:li Interview, Floyd Simmons
This article about a track and field Olympic medalist of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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This biographical article about an American decathlete is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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