Melvin Emery `` Mel '' Patton ( November 16 , 1924 -- May 9 , 2014 ) was an American track and field athlete , who won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics .
Melvin Emery `` Mel '' Patton ( November 16 , 1924 -- May 9 , 2014 ) , nicknamed `` World 's Fastest Human '' and `` Pell Mell '' , was an American track and field athlete . He won two gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London , England .