Margaret “Rena” MacDonald who was a 1924 graduate of Dedham High School and was one of four women from Massachusetts to attend the 1928 Olympic Games, the first one to allow women in competition. In 2000 Dedham High School inducted Rena into their high schools Hall of Fame. According to that nights program, “Margaret “Rena” MacDonald was a gifted field hockey player and an outstanding athlete who created opportunities when females had limited access...She was a member of the USA Track and Field Team...She represented the United States in the 1928 summer Olympics in Amsterdam...She won a medal in the 1928 European Championships in the shot put...was a 10 time National shot put and one time national discus champion. Rena has a son Bob Perry who lives in California but is unable to be with us today. Rena's two nieces, Nancy Lyons and Sue Borek are here representing the MacDonald family. Although Rena's claim to fame had been the shot put, there was a problem for her making the Olympic team in in 1928 in that event. The problem was that in these first Olympics that allow women, there was no shot put contested. So Rena, accepted that challenge and began to train for the discus. According to a Boston Globe article from July 1928, “Rena MacDonald, left-handed weight thrower from Dedham, has held the national indoor woman’s shot put championship and has several times broken the national and world records for the event. Her work in the discus has been remarkable, considering the fact that she has been throwing it only since last fall. She will be seen in this event at Amsterdam.” Rena would finish 15th at the Olympics that year. Unfortunately for all women shot putters around the world the shot put would not be contested in an Olympic Games until 1948. 1929 was a very interesting year for Rena. At the 1929 indoor national championship, she showed her athleticism by placing in three events. She won the shot put, was second in the basketball throw and was 4th in the 50 yard hurdles. At the outdoor national championships she won the shot put, won the discus and was 3rd in the javelin. The shot, however, was her defining event. She was a 7 time national indoor champion in 1927 then a straight run from 1929 to 1934. She was the 3 time national outdoor shot put champion in 1929, 30 and 35. And as mentioned earlier a national discus champion in 1929. Her indoor shot best of 40'11” on April 14, 1934 and outdoor best of 42'3” set on July 27, 1929 were both hailed as new American and world records. Today there is some confusion about weather or not her outdoor mark was an accepted American record. A pre 1950 authoritative source “Spalding's Athletic Almanac, which was the equivalent of today's Track and Field News says “yes”. A present day authoritative source “The Progression of the American National Record, says “No.” In any event, it is clear that her outdoor mark of 42'3” was accepted as the meet record for the U.S. National Championship and it remained such until 1953, after which the 8 pound shot was no longer used at the championship meet. Her personal best in the discus was 113'4”.
Class: 1924 Inducted: 2011