Dean Smith (sprinter)

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Dean Smith
File:Dean smith 2013.jpg
Smith in 2013
Personal information
Full nameFinis Dean Smith
Born(1932-01-15)January 15, 1932
Breckenridge, Texas, U.S.
DiedJune 24, 2023(2023-06-24) (aged 91)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1952 Helsinki 4 × 100 m relay

Finis Dean Smith (January 15, 1932 – June 24, 2023) was an American track and field athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1952 Summer Olympics; he was also an actor and noted stuntman, appearing in many films and TV series.[1][2][3]

Early life, education, and sports career

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File:The 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki 4 × 100 metres relay (JOKAVIU4Y-2).tif
Smith atop the podium at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Born in Breckenridge, Texas, Smith won the Amateur Athletic Union championships in 100 m in 1952. At the Helsinki Olympics, he was fourth in the 100 m and ran the leadoff leg for the American gold medal-winning 4 × 100 m relay team.[1] As a sprinter on the Longhorn track team, Smith ran a 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds, one-tenth of a second off the world record at the time.[3]

After graduating from University of Texas at Austin where he ran track and was a member of the Silver Spurs, Smith played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of his career in Hollywood.[4]

Later sports career

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Later on, Smith competed in amateur rodeo. His events were bareback bronc riding and calf roping. He won championships in both events.[5] The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association made him an honorary member.[4] He also participated in the team roping event in Reba McEntire's Pro Celebrity Rodeo in May 1997.[6]

After sports/Hollywood career

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Following his sports career, Smith performed as a professional rodeo cowboy and stuntman in various Western movies, such as The Alamo, The Comancheros, How The West Was Won, McLintock!, Rio Conchos, Big Jake, El Dorado, and Rio Lobo.[7][4] He also appeared in such Western TV shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Lawman, Have Gun Will Travel, The Iron Horse, and Walker, Texas Ranger.[4]

Some of what Variety called his "most impressive" stunts included falling out of a two-story building into a hay wagon in McLintock! (1963) starring Maureen O'Hara.[4] Smith was noticed by famed director John Ford when working on the 1958 Rosalind Russell project, Auntie Mame, and as a result went on to be featured in many of Ford's subsequent films.[4]

Honors

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In 2006, he was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.[8] In 2009, he was inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame.[9] He is also a member of the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Smith is a member of the Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame.[10] In 1997, he was named "All American Cowboy", and in 1998, he received a Golden Boot Award.[11] In 2007, he received the Silver Spur award for his contributions as a stuntman in the film business.[12]

Personal life

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Smith died on June 24, 2023, at age 91.[7][13][14]


References

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