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Back to Athlete Bios
Athlete Bio

Roxanne Andersen (Atkins)

Basic Information

Status: Hall of Fame Gender: Female Date of Birth: 6/26/1912

Athletics Information

Event: Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field Agent: N/A

Residences

Hometown: Montreal, Canada

Career Highlights

  • In 1982, she received the President's Award for meritorious service to track and field.

As Roxy Atkins, she was a top sprinter-hurdler for Canada in the 1930s, placing fourth at the 1934 British Empire Games, a forerunner of the present Commonwealth Games, and sixth at the Women's World Games. She won the 1934 U.S. indoor 50-meter hurdles title, defeating Olympic medalist and future Hall of Famer Evelyne Hall Adams. In 1936, she ran for Canada at the Olympic Games and finished second at the U.S. indoor championships. After marrying and moving to California following World War II, she became a U.S. citizen. Andersen pioneered women's and age group track and field programs and her activities were later used as a model for national programs. By the 1950s, she was active in the governance of U.S. track and field, serving continuously on the women's track and field national committee -- first for the Amateur Athletic Union, later for The Athletics Congress (TAC) -- and became co-chair of the women's track and field committee in 1958. She was a staff member for many other national teams, including the U.S. contingent to the Pan American Games in 1971 and 1983. Andersen has authored several articles on the sport, as well as a publication on the effects of athletic competition on girls and women. She received the President's Award for years of meritorious service to athletes in 1982.

Championships

1936 Olympics:
1934 British Empire Games: (4th)
1934 Women's World Games: (6th)
1934 US Indoors: 50 m hurdles (1st)
1936 US Indoors: (2nd)

Occupations

Coach
Track & field administrator

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