Charles Dumas, at 66; broke 7-foot barrier in high jump

LOS ANGELES -- Charles Dumas, the first athlete to high jump 7 feet and a gold medal winner at the 1956 Olympics, died of cancer Monday at his home in Inglewood, Calif. He was 66.

Mr. Dumas made his historic jump while competing in the 1956 Olympic trials at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

"I remember that day very well," said Lee Joseph, a friend who worked with Mr. Dumas at the school district. "I was there [June 29, 1956] when he made the jump and it was just unbelievable . . . The crowd just couldn't believe it. The noise was unbelievable."

"What people don't know is, that day, Charlie lost his participant's pass and had to buy a ticket to get into the Coliseum," said Ken Thompson, a longtime friend. "Imagine that: He had to buy his way in to compete."

After winning the Olympic gold medal in the high jump in Melbourne, Australia, at a then-Olympic record of 6 feet 11 1/2 inches, Mr. Dumas enrolled at the University of Southern California. He helped the Trojans to the NCAA track and field title in 1958 and was captain in 1960.

Mr. Dumas participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics, but a knee injury prevented him from repeating as Olympic champion. He finished sixth, jumping 6-8.

"He's one of the Trojans' all-time greats," said USC track and field coach Ron Allice. "He broke a barrier that people thought no human would break. Like Roger Bannister's 4-minute mile, Charlie Dumas did something people thought was not possible."

From 1955 to 1959, Mr. Dumas ranked among the top three high jumpers in the world and twice ranked No. 1. He won or shared five consecutive national high jump titles.

Also an excellent hurdler, Mr. Dumas was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1990. Once he retired from competition, Mr. Dumas began a career as a teacher and administrator. He worked at various schools around Los Angeles, staying longest at Jefferson High, where he was dean of students for more than 15 years. He retired in 2001. Mr. Dumas leaves a son, Kyle; a daughter, Keasha; three brothers, Cornelius, Frederick and James; and two sisters, Barbara and Delores.