Milt Campbell
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- This article is about the decathlete. For the blues vocalist, see Little Milton.
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Milt Campbell |
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| Men's Athletics | |||
Competitor for  United States |
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| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | 1952 Helsinki | Decathlon | |
| Gold | 1956 Melbourne | Decathlon | |
Milton Gray Campbell (born December 9, 1933 at Plainfield, New Jersey) is an American decathlete of the 1950s. He was a fine all around athlete born in New Jersey in 1933. At Plainfield High School he competed in track and swimming.[1] He then enrolled at the Indiana University (Bloomington)
While a student at Plainfield High School , Campbell won a place on the 1952 Olympic team in the decathlon. Although just 18 years old, Campbell finished second to Bob Mathias in the decathlon.
In 1956 at Melbourne, Campbell won the gold medal. He narrowly missed a world record. Many observers believe he would have set the record if not for a subpar performance in the pole vault.
Campbell was also an excellent swimmer as a youth. An all around athlete, Campbell briefly played in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and in 1959 for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.
In 2008, a degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, was conferred upon him by Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
[edit] References
- ^ "CAMPBELL CAPTURES TWO NEWARK EVENTS", The New York Times, February 28, 1953. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Milt Campbell, Plainfield High School star, won the first two events in the twenty-ninth Newark Athletic Club track and field championships today."
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