Nieder, "Bill" (William H.)
Track and Field
b. Aug. 10, 1933, Hempstead, NY
Nieder grew up in Kansas and was the first high school athlete to break the 60-foot barrier with the 12-pound shot. At the University of Kansas, he became the first college athlete to surpass 60 feet with the 16-pound shot.
Largely overshadowed by Parry O'Brien and Dallas Long, Nieder won only two national championships, the NCAA outdoor title in 1955 and the AAU outdoor title in 1957. However, he set world records four times, at 62-2 in 1959, 63-10, 65-7 and 65-10 in 1960. Nieder took a silver medal behind O'Brien at the 1956 Olympics and the gold medal in 1960, when he set an Olympic record of 62-61/4.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder retired from competition after the 1960 Olympics and tried professional boxing, but was knocked out in his only bout.