Wilson Charles - Inducted 1989

Born in Green Bay, Wis. Flandreau High School. Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kan. University of New Mexico. An Oneida Indian, Charles won the AAU national decathlon title in 1930. In the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Charles led in the decathlon after the first day only to finish fourth. His Olympic efforts: 100 (11.2), long jump (23-9, 1st), shot put (41-2 1/2), high jump (6-0 3/4, 1st), 400 (51.2), discus (127-0), 110 hurdles (16.2), pole vault (11-1 7/8), javelin (156-6 3/4), 1,500 (4:39.8), 7,985 total points. At the 1929 national decathlon competition, Charles won the first five events, only to sprain an ankle and be forced to quit. At Haskell he excelled in football, basketball and track. There the 6-3, 200-pounder began competing in the decathlon. At Flandreau, he was state high jump and long jump champion in 1927.