Clarence Pinkston
Encyclopedia
Clarence Elmer "Bud" Pinkston (February 1, 1900 – November 18, 1961) was an American
diver
. Born in Wichita
, Kansas
, he attended San Diego High where he won a Gymnastics title at age 15. He is the first San Diegan to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Pinkston attended college at Oregon State University
and Stanford University
. Pinkston won a gold medal
in 10 metre platform diving and a silver medal
in 3 metre springboard diving at the 1920 Summer Olympics
; he won two bronze medal
s in the same two events at the 1924 Summer Olympics
. Pinkston met Elizabeth "Betty" Becker
at the 1924 Games; they later married and Pink became Betty's coach.
Betty and Clarence were avid supporters of the swimming and diving program at the Detroit Athletic Club
. Pinkston (far better known as "Pink") served as aquatics director for the D.A.C. from 1927 until 1956; Pink continued as a coach for the club until his death in 1961. Several national champions and Olympic medalists trained under Pinkston's tutelage; including wife Betty, Richard Degener
, Jeanne Stunyo
and Barbara Sue Gilders
- all were sponsored by the Detroit Athletic Club.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
. Born in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, he attended San Diego High where he won a Gymnastics title at age 15. He is the first San Diegan to win an Olympic Gold Medal. Pinkston attended college at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
and Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Pinkston won a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in 10 metre platform diving and a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in 3 metre springboard diving at the 1920 Summer Olympics
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
; he won two bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
s in the same two events at the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
. Pinkston met Elizabeth "Betty" Becker
Elizabeth Becker-Pinkston
Elizabeth "Betty" Anna Becker-Pinkston was an American diver who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics and in the 1928 Summer Olympics....
at the 1924 Games; they later married and Pink became Betty's coach.
Betty and Clarence were avid supporters of the swimming and diving program at the Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
. Pinkston (far better known as "Pink") served as aquatics director for the D.A.C. from 1927 until 1956; Pink continued as a coach for the club until his death in 1961. Several national champions and Olympic medalists trained under Pinkston's tutelage; including wife Betty, Richard Degener
Richard Degener
Richard Kempster Degener was an American diver who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.In 1932 he won the bronze medal in the 3 metre springboard event...
, Jeanne Stunyo
Jeanne Stunyo
Jeanne Georgette Stunyo is a former world-class diver who earned a silver medal on the three-meter springboard at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia....
and Barbara Sue Gilders
Barbara Gilders-Dudeck
19-year old Detroit native and Mackenzie High School graduate, Barbara Sue Gilders represented the United States in the sport of springboard diving at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia....
- all were sponsored by the Detroit Athletic Club.