Bell, Gregory C.
Track and field
b. Nov. 7, 1930, Terre Haute, IN
Bell's long jump of 26 feet, 6 1/2 inches in 1956 was the second longest in history, the closest anyone had ever come to breaking the world record of 26-8 1/4, set by Jesse Owens twenty-one years before. He came a little bit closer with two jumps of 26-7, in 1957 and 1959, but Owens' record stood up until Ralph Boston broke it in 1960.
Bell won the Olympic long jump in 1956 with a leap of 25 feet, 8 1/4 inches. Representing Indiana, he was the NCAA champion in 1956 and 1957; he won the national outdoor championship in 1955 and 1959, the national indoor title in 1958.