Dorothy Dodson wasn’t just a star in Chicago—her name was known worldwide. From 1939 to 1949, she racked up 18 national AAU titles in the discus and shot put. She was also one of the first women to compete in three different track and field disciplines at the 1948 Olympics. Her path to athletic success wasn’t easy; it required a grueling journey, including strict diets to stay in peak form. We’ll delve deeper into her remarkable life and career on chicagoka.com.
An Early Start in Sports
Dorothy Lucille Weir was born in Chicago on March 28, 1919, the third child to Benjamin and Emma Weir. Her father was an engraver at a printing company, while her mother raised the children. The family had a cottage in Libertyville where they spent their springs and summers, returning to Chicago for the fall and winter. It was in Libertyville, at the tender age of five, that Dorothy first gained local fame for her diving skills at the Gordon Ray Swimming Resort on Diamond Lake. During the winter months in Chicago, she took swimming lessons at the Illinois Athletic Club under the guidance of the legendary coach William Bachrach.
By age six, Dorothy was declared a swimming phenomenon, effortlessly beating adult swimmers. Bachrach was convinced that Weir was a future world champion. In 1926 and 1927, her photos, accompanied by sensational headlines, graced the front pages of newspapers across the country. In 1928, she was even featured on the cover of the French magazine Dimanches de la Femmes. Ultimately, though, she would achieve global recognition not in swimming, but in track and field. The reason for her departure from swimming was her unsuitable physique and height.
In 1931, the Weir family was still living on Chicago’s north side. Dorothy’s brother, Harold, was attending Senn High School and became a swimming champion there. A few years earlier, her older brother, Melvin, had been recognized as the top swimmer at Lane Technical College in Chicago. In the winter of 1931, Dorothy joined the Illinois Women’s Athletic Club (IWAC) swimming team, where she won a novice competition. The following April, she scored points for her IWAC team by taking third place in the breaststroke. Weir also tried her hand at speed skating, competing in the famous Silver Skates Derby.
Later in 1931, the family moved from Chicago to Libertyville. There, she attended high school and was an active member of the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA), playing various inter-class sports offered by the organization.
From Javelin and Shot Put to Olympic Glory
Dorothy began her professional track and field career at 16, after she showed an interest in throwing. Coach Larry Crawford noticed Weir and invited her to train with the boys. Her rapid progress within a few weeks, especially in the javelin, led Larry to introduce her to Chicago’s burgeoning women’s track and field scene. That summer, Dorothy debuted at the Central AAU championships—Chicago’s most prestigious meet. She proudly competed against the country’s top throwers, including famous athletes like Nan Gindele and Evelyn Ferrara.
While Weir didn’t place first in the javelin, her third-place finish in the shot put was a successful debut for the young athlete. After graduating high school, Weir moved back to Chicago and reappeared on the track and field scene in 1937. It’s worth noting that the Chicago Park District, in addition to teams representing local parks and playgrounds, formed a city-wide team each year composed of the city’s best track and field talent.
In 1938, Dorothy married Richard Dodson, an advertising executive, and became Dorothy Dodson. After the wedding, the couple joined the Dvorak Park track and field team. Dodson didn’t win any events but finished second in the shot put behind the incomparable Catherine Fellmeth. While the Dvorak Park team went to the national AAU meet in Connecticut, Dodson did not attend.
In 1939, at the Central AAU championships, Dorothy won the javelin and placed in the shot put. Soon after, the Chicago Park District revived its sponsorship of the city team, naming it the Chicago Park Hurricanes. Dodson competed in the javelin, discus, and shot put. At the national AAU championship, she placed in only one event—the javelin—with an incredible throw of 130 feet.
The 1940 season was a phenomenal one for the athlete. She won her first national AAU competition. In August, at the Central AAU championships, Dodson earned points for the winning Chicago Park Hurricanes team by taking second place in the shot put.
In the early 1940s, Dodson dedicated herself to swimming and diving. She joined the Midwest Athletic Club women’s team. The breaststroke was her specialty, and at a Chicago Park District meet, she won the senior title. Despite her great love for swimming and diving, she rarely placed in the top spots. In 1942, Dodson finished fourth in the Chicago Tribune’s 100-yard qualifying competition in Class E. A year later, Dodson and six of her Midwest Athletic Club teammates performed in a water show at Garfield Park.
Olympic Participation
In 1945, at the annual Central AAU championships, Dodson once again took first place in all three of her disciplines: javelin, shot put, and discus. Before the national AAU championships in June, the athlete was featured in a rare newspaper profile. The story highlighted that her fame at the time was based on the national titles she’d won in the javelin and shot put. The article’s main point was that the formerly chubby lady had overcome her plumpness through regular, light training. Her perseverance and hard work earned her the title of “Queen of the Javelin and Shot Put” in the United States. It’s worth noting that as of 1945, the athlete had already secured 10 national titles.
In 1947, Dodson began training for the Olympics. However, she took a break in August to participate in the annual water show at Garfield Park. In 1948, at the London Olympics, Dorothy threw the javelin 137 feet 7.5 inches, her second-best result ever. Despite the impressive throw, she finished fourth.
End of Her Career and Awards
After the 1948 Olympics, Dodson competed very little, with the exception of the 1949 Central AAU Open championships. At that meet, she won all three throwing disciplines for the fifth consecutive year, scoring 30 of her Chicago Hurricanes team’s 101 points. In 1959, Dorothy Dodson and Betty Robinson-Schwartz were appointed as members of the Women’s Committee for the Pan American Games, which were held in Chicago that year.
In 1969, Dorothy, along with her husband and children, moved to Florida. Kenneth passed away in 1997, and just six years later, in 2003, Dorothy passed away as well.
Throughout her long career, Dorothy Dodson received numerous awards. The most significant event was her induction into the Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1955. It’s important to note that she was one of only seven women to be honored with this award.