CRAIG K. DIXON

1926 - 2021

March 3, 1926 - February 25, 2021 LEGENDARY UCLA HURDLER PASSES AWAYCraig K. Dixon, Olympic medalist and U.S. hurdle champion, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2021 at his family home in Westwood, California just days shy of his 95th birthday.Born March 3, 1926 in Los Angeles, Dixon was one of the greatest hurdlers ever produced by UCLA. He was a bronze medalist in a photo-finish in the 110 meter high hurdles at the 1948 Olympic Games. He won the Los Angeles Times Award for National Track Athlete of the year in 1949 as well as the UCLA Gimbal Award for the graduating senior with outstanding achievement and attitude in athletics. Craig was captain of the UCLA track team in that memorable year and was undefeated in the high hurdles, winning the NCAA high and low hurdles, then attending the U.S. Open Championships and winning the 110M high hurdles and the 220M low hurdles. All told, Craig had an incredible 59 consecutive hurdle victories in 1949. Craig was inducted into the UCLA athletic Hall of Fame in 1985. Craig remained an active and ardent UCLA supporter throughout his life.After retiring from competition, Craig coached under UCLA's legendary Ducky Drake, where he mentored former world record-holding decathlete Rafer Johnson and 1960 decathlon silver medalist C.K. Yang. Craig, Rafer, and C.K. remained lifelong friends.Once he left coaching, Craig parlayed his amiable personality into a successful career in industrial publishing and advertising. He retired from Dun and Bradstreet in 1987 and opened his own publisher's representative firm. He retired permanently in 2004.Craig lived for many years in Malibu with his first wife Ann Andes and their three daughters, Dru, Darian and Cragan. Craig was later married to Janice Martens until her passing in 2014. Craig and Jan led a quiet life in retirement, living in the same Westwood home built by Craig's parents in 1929. A private memorial is planned in the Eastern Sierra where Craig loved to camp and fish growing up.