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US Pole Vaulting lost a dear friend last week. Mr. Fred Arnold passed away. He and his wife Madeleine were great pole vault officials, having worked the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Atlanta. The couple contributed much time and money to pole vaulting and have thousands of friends all over the world from their adventures in the pole vault. Fred donated the "Fred and Madeleine Arnold Memorial Track" to Fresno State for the "Run for the Dream" indoor track and field meet. They were a great couple and are sorely missed.

So sorry to hear that. What a great couple who did many wonderful things. I remember going to a YMCA in LA to negotiate a pool lease for a p[physical therapy company and saw the sign in front said, "The Madeline & Fred Arnold YMCA". A VERY successful building contractor they helped everyone they possibly could in many ways, but they LOVED the pole vault and pole vaulters. God bless them! Bubba

Sorry to hear that, Fred and Madeline made wonderful contributions to the sport.

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Fred A. ARNOLD | Visit Guest Book


ARNOLD, Fred A. Mar. 10, 1921 - Oct. 13, 2010 Fred Arnold passed away peacefully on Wednesday afternoon, following an extended illness. Fred was born and lived a short while with his mother, Nellie, and dad, Berlin (Burly) Arnold, in Baxter, Tennessee. Following the untimely death of his young father, Nellie returned with her boys to her hometown of Wartrace, Tennessee, where she later married Reuben Arnold. Upon graduation from high school, Fred hitch-hiked to California. Over time, his other brothers followed him to California. World War II saw Fred and three other brothers in the Army Air Corps. Fred became a side gunner on B-29's and was scheduled to go to the Far East when a serious automobile accident took place in Texas. By the time Fred recovered from that accident the war was over. Fred often said that the accident might have saved his life because most of his outfit was shot down over Japan.
After the war, Fred and his oldest brother, Melbourne, constructed a home for themselves on Wonderland Avenue, in Hollywood. Prior to that, in 1948, Fred met his wife-to-be at the Hollywood Palladium. On March 18, 1950, Fred married Madeleine Helen Turner. Working as a team all through 55 years of marriage, Fred and Madeleine developed a very successful construction business, almost all of which was in the field of public works. The business was dissolved in 1986, and they both were able, finally, to do some serious traveling. Fred and Madeleine were very active fund raisers for the Hollywood YMCA where they were also very actively engaged in their own physical fitness. They both used that fitness to become track and field officials. Their specialty eventually became the pole vault event. Fred was the head pole vault official for the 1984 Olympics which were held in Los Angeles. They both were involved in several Olympic Trials. As something of a memorial to his wife, Fred funded the construction of an indoor track for Fresno State University. Finally, Fred loved golf, and he was actually pretty good at the game. Fred's passing was preceded by the passing of two brothers, Bob and Melbourne, and his wife, Madeleine. He is survived by two brothers, Maurice and Cecil, who will miss him. Pierce Brothers Westwood Village, (310) 474-1579 Published in the Los Angeles Times on October 21, 2010 Email


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"Hello again, My apologies for not attaching correctly the three pictures of Fred (one of him on his track; Fred, myself, and my husband; and one of him at one of his favorite restaurants) currently on here to my Guestbook post because one of the..." Diane (Arnold) Phipps (Boise, ID)
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