Mildred Louise MCDANIEL

After winning the AAU outdoor high jump in 1953, both the outdoor and indoor titles in 1955 and 1956, and the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games high jump, Millie McDaniel of Tuskegee Institute achieved the ultimate in track & field by winning an Olympic gold medal with a world record performance of 5-9¼ (1.76). For good measure she also beat the former world record holder, lolanda Balaş of Romania. She was also a basketball player for her institute.

Personal Best: HJ – 5-9¼ (1.765) (1956).