Charley Brookins

In the early 20s, Charles Brookins was the best in the world at the non-Olympic 220 low hurdles. He was AAU Champion in 1923 and 1925, NCAA Champion in 1922-23, running for the University of Iowa, and in both 1923 and 1924, he set world records for the distance. He later became a sales representative for a Des Moines office equipment company.

It was not well known at the time, but Brookins was African-American, or at least mixed race. His father had been raised a slave but educated himself and later became a reverend. Brookins’ ethnicity was unveiled in the 21st century by his grandson, Matthew Lundeen, although newspapers reports from the 1920s did mention it, although it was not prominently known.

Personal Bests: 220yH – 23.0 (1924); 400H – 53.2 (1924).