- Cornelius Cooper Johnson
Cornelius Cooper Johnson (August 28, 1913 – February 15, 1946) was an
African-American athlete in thehigh jump .Born in Los Angeles in 1913, Cornelius ("Corny") Johnson first competed in organized
track and field events at Berendo Junior High School. He achieved greater athletic success as a student atLos Angeles High School , competing in the sprint and in thehigh jump .At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, Johnson, who was then an 18 year old high school student, placed fourth in the high jump under the existing tiebreaker rules. Had the current rules been in force, he would have won the
silver medal .In 1936 Johnson was one of 19
African American s at the Berlin Olympics, where he won the gold. Johnson's winning height of 2.03m was anOlympic record and he tried unsuccessfully for theworld record .Johnson was the co-holder of the world record for the high jump for the year 1936-37 and won eight career U.S. titles (five outdoor, three indoor).
After retiring from the high jump, he became a letter carrier for the U.S. Post Office in Los Angeles, and in 1945 he joined the
U.S. Merchant Marine .In 1946, while working as a ship's baker on board the Grace Line's "Santa Cruz," Johnson developed bronchial
pneumonia . Enroute from the ship to a California hospital, Corny Johnson died, aged only 32.Cornelius Johnson was inducted into the
USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1994.
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