Jack Beckner

Jack Beckner
File:Jack Beckner, 1956 (cropped).jpg Beckner in 1956
Personal information
Full name	John Gilbert Beckner
Born	(1930-06-09)June 9, 1930 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	November 16, 2016(2016-11-16) (aged 86) Studio City, California, U.S.
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Relatives	Dick Beckner (brother)
Gymnastics career
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Country represented	United States
College team	USC Trojans Los Angeles City College
Club	Los Angeles Turners Franklin High School
Head coach(es)	Charlie Graves
Retired	c. 1964
Medal record Men's artistic gymnastics Representing United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Pan American Games 9 1 1 Total 9 1 1 Pan American Games Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City Team Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City All-around Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City Floor Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City Pommel horse Gold medal – first place 1955 Mexico City Parallel bars Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago Team Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago All-around Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago Vault Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago Parallel bars Silver medal – second place 1959 Chicago Horizontal bar Bronze medal – third place 1959 Chicago Pommel horse

John Gilbert Beckner (June 9, 1930 – November 16, 2016) was an American artistic gymnast, coach, and referee. He was a member of the United States men's national artistic gymnastics team and competed at the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics with the best individual result of seventh place on the vault and horizontal bar in 1956. His elder brother Dick was also part of the 1956 Olympic gymnastics team.

Early life and education

Beckner was born to Lola and Andrew Vernon Beckner. He studied at Los Angeles Valley College and the University of Southern California, graduating in 1953.

Gymnastics and career

While attending USC, Beckner competed for the USC Trojans men's gymnastics team. He was the NCAA Champion in Parallel Bars in 1951 and 1952 and won the 1952 individual All-Around title. After college, Beckner was a member of the Los Angeles Turners Club.

Beckner won the individual AAU all-around title in 1956–59. At the 1955 and 1959 Pan American Games he collected 8 gold medals, which remains one of the best achievements of any American athlete.

In 1962 he earned a master's degree at the University of Southern California and coached there from 1969 to 1981. Previously he was a PE teacher and gymnastics coach and mentor at Van Nuys Jr High School from 1960 to 1967, then spent a year at Eagle Rock High School before becoming the gymnastics coach at USC. He also acted as the head coach for the 1968 USA gymnastics team for the 1968 Summer Olympics and served as a national and international judge.

Personal life and legacy

He was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame (1976), National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame (1989), USC Hall of Fame (2005), and Los Angeles High Schools Sports Hall of Fame (2011). Beckner was married to Barbara Blaine, they had three children. He died in his sleep aged 86.