Glenn Cunningham Dies at 78

Glenn Cunningham, who overcame childhood burns to win a silver medal in the 1500 meters in the 1936 Olympics, died today, apparently of a heart attack, said Conway County Coroner Robert Mitchell. Cunningham, 78, was found in his pickup truck near his farm for exotic animals at Menifee.

Cunningham was fourth in the 1500 meters at the 1932 Olympics and, in 1933, received the Sullivan Award as the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. In 1979, Cunningham was recognized as the outstanding performer in the 100-year history of Madison Square Garden. Both of Cunningham’s legs were burned in a fire when he was 7 and doctors said he would never walk again.