Melville Spence
Jamaican sprinter and middle-distance runner
About Melville Spence
Lived 1936 – 2012 (aged 76). Melville Spence was a Jamaican sprinter and middle-distance runner.
Melville Spence (2 January 1936 – 28 October 2012) was a Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He is the twin brother of Mal Spence, an Olympic sprint medalist.
He was a relay silver medalist at the 1955 Pan American Games and was runner-up in the individual 400 m event at the 1963 Pan American Games. He was part of the winning Jamaican 4×400 metres relay team at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games.
Both Mel and his twin brother were recruited to run for Arizona State University during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s, among the first international athletes to come to the US for athletics.
International competitions 1Representing
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Melville Spence's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Melville Spence?
Jamaican sprinter and middle-distance runner
When was Melville Spence born?
Melville Spence was born on 2 January 1936 in Kingston.
When did Melville Spence die?
Melville Spence died on 28 October 2012 in Fort Lauderdale.
What was Melville Spence's occupation?
Melville Spence was a sprinter and middle-distance runner.
What nationality was Melville Spence?
Melville Spence was Jamaican.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Melville Spence. https://biography.guide/melville-spence/
MLA: "Melville Spence." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/melville-spence/.
Chicago: "Melville Spence." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/melville-spence/.
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