Born January 7, 1934, New York, N.Y.

Charlie Jenkins was an outstanding member of Villanova's track teams between 1955 and 1957, earning an Olympic gold medal. Coached by Hall of Famer Jumbo Elliott, Jenkins won the 1955 National AAU title but at the 1956 Olympics all eyes were on Jenkins' U.S. teammate, Lou Jones, who held the world record. Jones had won the U.S. Trials while Jenkins had placed a distant third. At Melbourne, Jenkins barely made it to the Olympic final, finishing third in both his first and second-round heats. In the final, however, a strong finish earned him the gold medal. A 45.5 relay leg a few days later won him a second gold medal when the U.S. took the 4 x 400-meters relay. Jenkins was also tough indoors, winning the AAU 600-yard title in 1955, 1957 and 1958. In 1956, he set a world indoor best for 500 yards. When Elliott died in 1981, Jenkins succeeded him as Villanova coach. One of his charges was his son, Chip, who placed third at the 1986 NCAA indoor championships. Like his father, Chip also became an Olympic gold medalist, running as a reserve on the U.S. 4 x 400-meters relay team at the 1992 Olympic Games.