Charles Edward Dvorak (November 27, 1878 – December 18, 1969) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the pole vault.

Dvorak returned to international competition and won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 1904 Summer Olympics.

Dvorak later served as a high school football, basketball and track coach in Seattle, Washington, where he died in 1969 at age 91.

[2][3] The Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States credits Dvorak as being one of the earliest Americans of Czech descent to achieve significant success in athletics.

[7][8] Before enrolling at Michigan, Dvorak had competed in the pole vault, achieving a height of 9 feet, 6 inches.

At Michigan, Dvorak worked with track coach Keene Fitzpatrick, who has been credited with inventing modern pole-vaulting technique.

[15] In 1900, funds were solicited from faculty, students, alumni and Ann Arbor businessmen to send Dvorak, three other Michigan track athletes, and Coach Fitzpatrick to the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.

We felt keenly the breach of faith in holding the Paris games on Sunday, but we could do nothing more than make a formal protest.

"[23] However, on the day of the finals, Dvorak and the Princeton vaulters chose not to cross the patch where the 100 meters run was occurring and therefore did not arrive at the standards until the other contestants had made their first trial jump.

One observer recalled, "we heard a ripping, tearing noise, and looking around saw him lying on the ground beside his pole, which was broken and useless.

"[23] In spite of the "severe jarring" received in the fall, Dvorak borrowed a light bamboo pole from a Danish competitor and used it to complete his participation in the consolation event.

[10][29][30] At the time of his hiring, a wire service report noted, "Dvorak probably is better fitted for the position than any other available man in the northwest.

[32] In 1910, Dvorak was employed in helping to organize the Union Title and Trust Company of Okanogan County, Washington.

[38] In 1920, Dvorak moved to Seattle, Washington, where he was hired as the coach of all athletic teams at Franklin High School.

[40] At Franklin, Dvorak coached African-American athlete Brice Taylor, who went on to become an All-American football player at the University of Southern California.

[41] A report on Dvorak in December 1921 noted: "He is coaching the Franklin High School football team and is very much of a success at it.

[44] The players coached by Dvorak at Roosevelt High include Washington State Cougars football great Harry Speidel.

[45] In 1927, Spalding's Official Pacific Coast Interscholastic Foot Ball Guide reported that "Charles Dvorak, the renowned player of former years on Yost's University of Michigan team," was coach at Roosevelt High School.