Ernest Shelton (born October 28, 1932) was a male high jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

er from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, who competed in the 1950s

1950s

The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

. He won the gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games

Athletics at the 1955 Pan American Games

The Athletics Competition at the 1955 Pan American Games was held in Mexico City, Mexico.-Men's events:-Women's events:A = affected by altitude-Medal table:-References:*...

.

Shelton set his personal best in the men's high jump event (2.115 metres) on 1955-06-10 at a meet in his home town of Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. He failed to qualify for the 1956 Summer Olympics

1956 Summer Olympics

The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...

, finishing in fifth place (2.04 metres) at the 1956 US Olympic Trials

United States Olympic Trials (track and field)

The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...

. Shelton also competed in the decathlon

Decathlon

The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...

.

He first competed for Washington Preparatory High School

Washington Preparatory High School

George Washington Preparatory High School is a secondary school in the Westmont section of unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States that is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, .It was founded in 1926...

 in Los Angeles, finishing in a 5-way tie for 2nd place at the 1951 CIF California State Meet

CIF California State Meet

The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...

. Next he went to the University of Southern California

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 where he won the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships twice in a row. He won the SA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in both 1954 and 1955 (1955 tied with Charles Dumas

Charles Dumas

Charles Everett Dumas was an American high jumper, the 1956 Olympic champion, and the first person to clear 7 ft....

 who at the time was still at Centennial High School (Compton, California)

Centennial High School (Compton, California)

Centennial High School is a public high school in Compton, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area....

 who would win the Olympic Gold medal the following year Both Dumas and Shelton were in a race to become the first man to clear 7 feet, with Dumas getting the honor. It was crushing to Shelton, who never did clear 7 feet.

Shelton has gone on to become a celebrated sculptor, working from his studio in Cambria, California

Cambria, California

Cambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...

. He has also contributed to special effects pieces for RoboCop

RoboCop

RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...

, Total Recall

Total Recall

Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...

, Legend

Legend (film)

Legend is a 1985 fantasy film released by Universal Pictures, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry. Though not a very notable success when first released, it received a single Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup, and since its initial release, has developed...

and other motion pictures.

Achievements

Year	Tournament	Venue	Result	Height
1951	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Berkeley, California Berkeley, California Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...	3rd	1.93 m
1953	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Dayton, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...	2nd	2.02 m
1954	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...	1st	2.07 m
1955	Pan American Games Athletics at the 1955 Pan American Games The Athletics Competition at the 1955 Pan American Games was held in Mexico City, Mexico.-Men's events:-Women's events:A = affected by altitude-Medal table:-References:*...	Mexico City, Mexico	1st	2.01 m
	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Boulder, Colorado Boulder, Colorado Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...	1st	2.08 m
1956	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Bakersfield, California Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....	2nd	2.04 m
1957	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Dayton, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...	2nd	2.06 m
1958	USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...	Bakersfield, California Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....	6th	1.98 m