Track and field
b. July 11, 1935, Laxeto, TX
The 5-foot-7, 225-pound Brown is the only American woman to win an Olympic medal in the shot put, a bronze in 1960. She didn't begin throwing weights until 1956, but she won the AAU shot put championship that year with a U. S. record of 45 feet, and she broke that with a put of 46-9½ at the Olympic trials.
Although she finished only sixth in the shot put and fourth in the discus at the Olympics, Brown set American records in both events. In 1958, she became the first American woman to break the 50-foot barrier in the shot put.
Brown won the AAU outdoor shot put championship eight times, from 1956 through 1962 and in 1964, and she was the discus champion in 1958, 1959, and 1961. She also won the basketball throw (since dropped from the program) in 1958, and she was the gold medalist in both the shot put and the discus at the 1959 Pan-American Games.
After placing twelfth in the shot put at the 1964 Olympics, Brown retired from track and field competition. She later became a star in the Roller Derby.
Top of Page
|
