Born June 30, 1938, Pine Ridge, S. D.

Every Olympic Games has its upsets and certainly one of the biggest surprises of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo was Billy Mills, a part Sioux Indian who beat one of the most talented fields in history to capture the 10,000-meter gold medal.

A good distance runner at the University of Kansas where he was coached by Bill Easton, also a Hall of Fame member, Mills continued his development when he entered the Marine Corps. After his 10-kilometer victory, Mills also competed in the 1964 Olympic marathon and placed 14th. In 1965 Mills had another outstanding season, capped by a world record in the six miles at the AAU championships. He later became active in Indian affairs and in 1972 was named one of America's "Outstanding Young Men." A movie also was made of his life in the 1980s. Elected to U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984.