| Adolph Plummer | |
| Birth Date: | January 3, 1938 |
| Birth Place: | Brooklyn, U.S. |
| Death Date: | November 30, 2015 (aged 77) |
| Death Place: | Denver, U.S. |
| Sport: | Athletics |
| Event: | 200 m, 400 m |
| Pb: | 200 m – 20.5 (1963) 400 m – 44.6 (1963)[1] |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Adolph Plummer (January 3, 1938 – November 30, 2015)[2] [3] was an American track and field athlete. He is best known for breaking the world record in the 440 yard dash in 1963, the last runner to hold the 400 m record with a time recorded for the longer 440 yards.[4]
During his time running at the University of New Mexico (UNM, 1959–1963), Plummer was a member of an outstanding Lobos track team. In 1961, Plummer became the NCAA champion in the 440 yards event. He was a three-time All-American and won four titles in the 440 yards event and three at 220 yards in the Skyline Conference and Western Athletic Conference (WAC).[5]
On May 25, 1963, running in his last race for UNM at the WAC Championships in Tempe, Arizona, Plummer shocked future Olympic champion Ulis Williams on his home track with a 44.9 second world record in the 440 yards (Williams also broke the old world record by 0.1 second).[6] Plummer shattered the old mark set by Glenn Davis five years previously by the huge margin of 8 tenths of a second. Plummer's only memory of the race was hearing the starter say "set" before the race began.[7] Plummer's time also tied the existing world record in the shorter 400 meters (440 yards is 402.34 meters).[4] [8] [9] This was the first ever 440 run under 45 seconds.[10]
In 1964, Plummer attempted to qualify for the Olympic Games but trailed in his heat due to the flare-up of an arthritic knee, a condition that was to eventually end his athletics career.[11] [12]
In 1965, Plummer returned to the track specializing in the 220 yard/200 meter event. That year he became USA national champion at 220 yards and was ranked number one in the world at that distance.(See below).[13]
In 1976, Plummer was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.[14]
In 2012, Plummer was presented with a Living Legend Awards by the UNM Black Alumni Chapter.[15]
Plummer has also been inducted into the UNM Alumni Lettermen's Association Hall of Honor.[15]
Plummer was a native of Brooklyn, New York City and served in the United States Air Force before attending UNM.[5]
After attending UNM, Plummer moved to Colorado and worked as an educator in the Denver public schools system.
In the mid-1970s (1974–76 in particular), Plummer's tenure as an educator at Cole Junior H.S., in Denver, coincided with the earliest days of Court-Ordered Busing for Integration. His involvement was instrumental in fostering tolerance – resulting in a successful, peaceful learning environment for Denver's suburban and urban students suddenly exposed to new cohorts and lifestyles and attitudes.
He also served for a time as an associate dean in the Athletic Department at UNM in charge of education.
Plummer died on November 30, 2015, in Denver at the age of 77.[3]
Plummer was ranked among the best in the US and the world in the 440 yard/400 meter sprint event in the period 1961–64 and the 220 yard/200 meter sprint event in the period 1963–1966, according to the votes of the experts of Track and Field News.[16] [17] [18] [19]
| Year | World rank | US rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 6th | 4th | |
| 1964 | – | – | |
| 1965 | 1st | 1st | |
| 1966 | – | 5th |
| Year | World rank | US rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 5th | 3rd | |
| 1962 | 8th | 4th | |
| 1963 | 2nd | 2nd | |
| 1964 | – | 8th |
Plummer competed in the 220 yard/220 meter and 440 yard/400 meter events in the USA National Track and Field Championships between 1961 and 1966.[20] [21]
| Year | 220y | 440y | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | – | 3rd | |
| 1962 | – | 5th | |
| 1963 | – | 2nd | |
| 1964 | – | 4th | |
| 1965 | 1st | – | |
| 1966 | 2nd | – |