American centenarians

John Hampton (May 24, 1907 – July 4, 2010) was an American retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and former journalist. Hampton is credited with co-founding Toys for Tots with Major William L. Hendricks and other U.S. Marines during the late 1940s.Hampton was born on May 24, 1907. Hampton received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University. He worked as a journalist for several wire services and newspapers in Texas, Louisiana and Kansas following his graduation. Hampton enlisted in the United States Marines during World War II and was sent to the Pacific theater. He coded and decoded encrypted messages during the war.Hampton was stationed at a Marine Reserve training center in Los Angeles following the end of World War II, where he worked as a public information officer. He would meet Major William L. Hendricks at the Los Angeles center, who would co-found Toys for Tots. Hendricks, who was public relations officer for Warner Bros. by profession, created a campaign to place collection bins for toys outside of Warner Bros movie theaters, which evolved into Toys for Tots. Hendricks partnered with Hampton to lead the toy collections in the area. Hampton also used his journalism experience to promote the campaign.Hampton later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he practiced public relations in Oakland. His wife was journalist Nora Hampton, who worked for the Oakland Tribune. The couple resided in Orinda, California, until his wife's death on November 24, 1994.Hampton began showing symptoms of dementia in 2000. He died on July 4, 2010, at the Deer Hill Care Home in Lafayette, California, at the age of 103. His son, Mikey Hampton, died in 2006, leaving no close relatives.

Wilmer Webster Tanner ((1909-12-17)December 17, 1909 – (2011-10-28)October 28, 2011) was an American zoologist, professor and curator. He was associated with Brigham Young University (BYU), in Provo, Utah for much of his life and published extensively on the snakes and salamanders of the Great Basin.

Eldred Gee Smith (January 9, 1907 – April 4, 2013) was the patriarch to the church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1947 to 1979. From 1979 to his death he was the patriarch emeritus of the church. He was the oldest and longest-serving general authority in the history of the church, although he had not been active in that capacity from 1979 to his death.

Annette Richardson Dinwoodey (February 17, 1906 – January 21, 2007) was an American radio singer and centenarian. She sang with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from 1971 to 1973. She was a contralto.

Leland McPhie (March 10, 1914 – September 3, 2015) was an American centenarian track and field athlete. He has found success in Masters athletics competitions. He also holds the currently ratified M95 American records in the long jump and triple jump. Just four days after his 100th birthday, competing in the USATF Masters Indoor Championships, McPhie was the first centenarian athlete to attempt the high jump, though he failed to clear the bar.McPhie's first experience in the sport of track and field dates to his days at Colton Union High School in Colton, California where he taught himself to pole vault with a bamboo pole. In 1935 he set the school record at San Bernardino Valley College that lasted until the inception of fiberglass vaulting poles that radically changed the event in the 1960s. He continued to San Diego State College where he set the school record in the 220 yard dash and long jump in 1936. To this day, the jump is still ranked #9 in school history, a history that includes two Olympic gold medalists in the long jump, Willie Steele and Arnie Robinson.McPhie joined the Army to fight in World War II, returning to San Diego State to complete his degree. From 1940 to 1969 he worked for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, by 1954 becoming the youngest to attain the rank of captain. During the Vietnam War, he worked for the State Department and picked up the game of tennis. Still decades later he joined a tennis competition at the local Senior Olympics and noticed a track meet going on associated with the event. Since joining in that day, he has won over 200 gold medals and has set numerous American and world records.Widowed in 2000, he survived open heart surgery in 2004 and a couple of forms of cancer. From his recollection, he has three living children, five or six grandchildren and "about 30″ great-grandchildren. He died from a rare form of E. coli bacterial infection.

Florence Smith Jacobsen (April 7, 1913 – March 5, 2017) was an American religious leader associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who served as the sixth General President of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association (YWMIA) from 1961 to 1972.

Joe Leandrew McQueen (May 30, 1919 – December 7, 2019), also known as Joe Lee McQueen, was an American jazz saxophonist.

Dorothy Elsie Wilkinson (October 9, 1921 – March 18, 2023) was an American softball player and bowler, who is a member of the halls of fame in both sports.

Mary Louise Tobin (November 11, 1918 – November 26, 2022) was an American jazz singer and musician. She appeared with Benny Goodman, Bobby Hackett, Will Bradley, and Jack Jenney. Tobin introduced "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" with Goodman's band in 1939. Her biggest hit with Goodman was "There'll Be Some Changes Made", which was number two on Your Hit Parade in 1941 for 15 weeks. Tobin was the first wife of trumpeter and bandleader Harry James, with whom she had two sons.