Charles Dvorak
Charles Dvorak from 1901 Michiganensian
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Charles Edward Dvorak | |||||||||||||||
| Nationality |
 United States
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| Born |
November 27, 1878 Chicago, Illinois |
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| Died | December 18, 1969 (aged 91) Seattle, Washington |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||
| Country |
United States
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| Sport | Track and Field | |||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Pole vault | |||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Michigan | |||||||||||||||
| Club | Chicago Athletic Association | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Charles Edward Dvorak (November 27, 1878 – December 18, 1969) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the pole vault. He attended the University of Michigan where he competed for the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team from 1900 to 1904. He participated in the 1900 Summer Olympics where he was a favorite in the pole vault. However, he missed the competition after being told by officials that the finals would not be held on a Sunday. He won a special silver medal in a consolation competition. In 1903, he set a world's record in the pole vault with a jump of 11 feet, 11 inches. Dvorak returned to international competition and won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Dvorak later served as a high school football, basketball and track coach in Seattle, Washington, where he died in 1969 at age 91.
Dvorak was born in Chicago in 1878. He was the son of Frank E. and Antoinette (Hrdlicka) Dvorak. Dvorak attended the Lewis Institute in Chicago, considered the first junior college in the United States. The Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States credits Dvorak as being one of the earliest Americans of Czech descent to achieve significant success in athletics.
In approximately 1898, Dvorak transferred to the University of Michigan as a junior in the Department of Literature, Science and Arts. While attending Michigan over the following six years, Dvorak was captain of the track team, vice-president of the Republican Club, athletic editor of the University of Michigan Daily, editor of the U. of M. Republican, and a member of the Comedy Club, the Board of Control, the Gymnasium Team, the Social Committee, the Fencing Club, and the Hawks.
Before enrolling at Michigan, Dvorak had competed in the pole vault, achieving a height of 9 feet, 6 inches. At Michigan, Dvorak worked with track coach Keene Fitzpatrick, who has been credited with inventing modern pole-vaulting technique. Fitzpatrick taught Dvorak to grasp the pole with his hands close together, resulting in a significant increase in the heights Dvorak was able to clear.
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