| Dean Smith | |
| Fullname: | Finis Dean Smith |
| Birth Date: | 15 January 1932 |
| Birth Place: | Breckenridge, Texas, U.S. |
| Headercolor: | lightsteelblue |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Finis Dean Smith (January 15, 1932 – June 24, 2023) was an American track and field athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1952 Summer Olympics; he was also an actor and noted stuntman, appearing in many films and TV series.[1] [2] [3]
Born in Breckenridge, Texas, Smith won the Amateur Athletic Union championships in 100 m in 1952. At the Helsinki Olympics, he was fourth in the 100 m and ran the leadoff leg for the American gold medal-winning 4 × 100 m relay team.[1] As a sprinter on the Longhorn track team, Smith ran a 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds, one-tenth of a second off the world record at the time.[3]
After graduating from University of Texas at Austin where he ran track and was a member of the Silver Spurs, Smith played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of his career in Hollywood.[4]
Later on, Smith competed in amateur rodeo. His events were bareback bronc riding and calf roping. He won championships in both events.[5] The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Associations made him an honorary member.[4] He also participated in the team roping event in Reba McEntire's Pro Celebrity Rodeo in May 1997.[6]
Following his sports career, Smith performed as a professional rodeo cowboy and stuntman in various Western movies such as The Alamo, The Comancheros, How The West Was Won, McLintock!, Rio Conchos, Big Jake, El Dorado, and Rio Lobo.[4] He also appeared in such Western TV shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Lawman, Have Gun Will Travel, The Iron Horse and Walker, Texas Ranger.[4]
Some of what Variety called his "most impressive" stunts included falling out of a two-story building into a hay wagon in McLintock! (1963) starring Maureen O'Hara.[4] Smith was noticed by famed director John Ford when working on the 1958 Rosalind Russell project, Auntie Mame, and as a result went on to be featured in many of Ford's subsequent films.[4]
In 2006 he was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame.[7] In 2009 he was inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame.[8] He is also a member of the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Smith is a member of the Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame.[9] In 1997 he was named "All American Cowboy", and in 1998 he received a Golden Boot Award.[10] In 2007 he received the Silver Spur award for his contributions as a stuntman in the film business.
Smith died on June 24, 2023, at age 91.[11] [12] [13]