Life
Summary:
Summary:
- 8 years old, was horribly burned in a schoolhouse fire.
Doctors predicted he would never walk again. - 22 months later, took his first steps and through sheer
determination, learned to run despite the pain. - In high school, set records for the mile and later
attended Kansas University. - While at Kansas, refused all scholarship money,
preferring to pay his own way. - By sophomore year, ran the 1,500 meter race at the 1932
Olympics, but finished fourth due to a severe cold. - By senior year, set a world record for the mile of
4:06.8 and held seven of the top 13 fastest recorded times for the mile. - In 1936, voted “Most Popular Athlete” by his fellow
athletes. - He went on to earn a master’s degree from University of
Iowa and later a doctorate from New York University. - While in New York, won 21 of 31 races at Madison Square
Gardens and set an indoor mile record there in 1938. His fastest
mile time was 4:04.4 at a Dartmouth track meet in 1938. - When the 1940 Olympics were cancelled, he retired from
his running career and taught at Cornell College in Iowa. - During World War II, he served two years in the Navy.
- Spent the remainder of his life running the Glenn
Cunningham Youth Ranch for troubled kids in Kansas, USA. It is
estimated that he and his wife raised around 9,000 kids on their ranch in
the years until his death in 1988.
Glenn
Cunningham Images:
Cunningham Images:
Cunningham at 1936 Games.
Glenn Cunningham and Wife at Their Range.
