Bob King (high jumper)
An American who soared to Olympic gold in Amsterdam before delivering thousands of babies in a distinguished medical career.
1906–1965 (age 59)·American athlete and obstetrician·Birthday: June 20·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bob King's story is one of two distinct, remarkable peaks. First, as a lean athlete from Stanford, he arrived at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and cleared 1.93 meters to claim the high jump gold medal in a tense competition. That moment of aerial grace, just shy of the two-meter barrier he nearly conquered that same year, defined his youth. But King had already charted a second course. He traded the pit for the medical theater, becoming an obstetrician. For decades, he applied the same focus and precision required on the runway to the delivery room, ushering new lives into the world in Southern California. His legacy thus bridges the extraordinary, singular achievement of an Olympic champion and the quiet, repeated miracle of a trusted physician.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bob was born in 1906, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bob Was Born
The biggest hits of 1906
Bob's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1906Born
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Started school
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1919Became a teenager
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Could drive
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1924Could vote
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Turned 21
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1936Turned 30
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 40
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 50
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Died at 59
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in the high jump at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
- Set a personal best jump of 1.997 meters (6 ft 6.6 in) in 1928, just shy of the two-meter barrier.
- Graduated from Stanford University and later completed medical school to become a doctor.
- Built a long and respected career as a practicing obstetrician after his athletic retirement.
Did You Know?
His winning Olympic jump of 1.93m was achieved using the scissors technique, an older style largely replaced by the Fosbury Flop.
He served as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II.
He was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame in 1961.
“The bar is a precise measurement, but clearing it is an art.”
