1996 Hall of Fame Inductee
A world record holder in the days of the bamboo pole, Earle Meadows achieved his greatest fame by winning the pole vault at the 1936 Olympic Games, but 1937 was perhaps his greatest year from a record standpoint. On May 8 at Stanford, Calif., Meadows and University of Southern California teammate Bill Sefton broke the world record when they cleared 4.48m/14 feet 8.50 inches, appropriately tying for first place. Three weeks later, they both bettered that mark with clearances of 4.55m/14-11. Since the standards couldn't be raised any higher, Meadows and his teammate lost their chance to become the first vaulters to clear 15 feet. Their performances while leading USC to three NCAA team titles earned Meadows and Sefton the nickname "Heavenly Twins." In 1935 and 1936, Meadows also shared the NCAA title with Sefton, and he tied Sefton for the 1935 AAU title. Meadows was equally as successful indoors, winning national titles in 1937, 1940 and 1941. In the latter meet, he set a world indoor best of 4.45m/14-7.
World Record (indoor): Pole Vault - 4.45 m World Record: Pole Vault - 4.48 m (May 8, 1937 - ) World Record: Pole Vault - 4.54 m (May 29, 1937 - )
1936 Olympic Games: Pole Vault - 4.35 m (1st) 1935 USA Outdoor Championships: - 4.23 m (1st) 1936 Olympic Trials: Pole Vault - 4.34 m (1st) 1937 USA Indoor Championships: - 4.34 m (1st) 1940 USA Indoor Championships: - 4.34 m (1st) 1941 USA Indoor Championships: - 4.38 m (1st) 1937 Pan American Games: - 4.12 m (3rd) 1935 NCAA Outdoor Championships: - 4.29 m (1st) 1936 NCAA Outdoor Championships: - 4.31 m (1st)
Worked in musical instrument business