Frank C. Wykoff

1909 - 1980

Reprint of the Los Angeles Times -- January 3, 1980

Onetime World's Fastest Human, Wykoff, 70, Dies

By Shav Glick

Times Staff Writer

ALHAMBRA - Frank Wykoff, first man to run 100 yards in 9.4 seconds and a gold medal winner in three Olympic Games (1928-32-36), died Tuesday night (1-1-80) of emphysema at La Vina Hospital in Altadena.

Wykoff, 70, who lived in Alhambra, was hospitalized earlier Tuesday. He was able to fulfill on of his last wishes, watching USC play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl game on television.  At Glendale High in 1928, Wykoff won the National AAU 100 meters and the U. S. Olympic trials in the 100.  He won four 100-meter races in the trials in one day and equaled the world record in three of them.

Wykoff finished fourth at Amsterdam, but won a gold medal as a member of the 400 meter relay team.  In 1930 he set the world 100-yard record of 9.4.  It stood until 1949, when Mel Patton ran 9.3.

Wykoff went to USC and was on of its great athletes of the 1930's.

In 1932, as a senior, he was hampered by injuries but managed to make the Olympic team again on the sprint relay team, where he was anchor man and won a second gold medal.  Four years later, in a remarkable comeback after retiring from competition, Wykoff, at age 26, made his third Olympic team in the 100 meters.  He finished fourth to Jesse Owens at Berlin and ran on his third winning relay team.  The quartet of Wykoff, Owens, Ralph Metcalfe and Foy Draper set a world record.

At USC Wykoff was dubbed the World's Fastest Human.  He won the NCAA 100 In 1930 and 1931 and the National AAU 100 In1931.  As a junior  at Glendale High in 1927 Wykoff first came to national prominence by winning the National Junior AAU 100.

Following his graduation from USC in 1932 Wykoff earned a master's degree in 1936 and became a teacher and administrator.  He was superintendent of schools at Carpinteria for 14 years until 1950, when he was named administrator of special schools for Los Angeles County dealing with juvenile delinquents.  He held that position until retiring in 1972.

During his administrative years, Wykoff spoke at many organizations about the importance of sportsmanship in youth.

"A foot race is much the same as the race of life," Wykoff often said, "You can make of it what you wish -- if you're willing to pay the price of hard training."

A slogan of Wykoff's, "Clean Speech, Clean Sport, Clean Scholarship, Clean Life," was adopted by the YMCA in 1938.

Services are Friday at 2:30 p.m. at the Hillside Chapel at Rose Hills in Whittier.  He is survived by his wife, Ethel Mae Wykoff, a son, David, of Downey; a daughter, Marjorie De Young of Ventura and six grandchildren.

Other pages in this web site concerning Frank C. Wykoff

Other pages at FrankWykoff.com - Beyond The Cinder path

USA Track & Field Hall of Fame:

jcantrell@cusd.net

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