Tommie
Smith

Olympian 1968

1
GOLD

0
SILVER

0
BRONZE

Athlete Bio#

Age

Hometown

Clarksville, TX

Education

Lemoore High School San Jose State University

Quick Facts

Born in Clarksville, Texas
Seventh of twelve children
Suffered pneumonia as a child
Attended Lemoore High School in Lemoore California, setting multiple school track records
Won 440-yard dash in the 1963 CIP California State Meet
Voted Lemoore’s MVP in basketball, football, and track and field
Received scholarship to run track and field at San Jose State University where he set seven individual world records and earned his BA in Social Science
won NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 1966 and 220-yard title in 1967
Raised black-gloved fist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City after winning gold in the 200-meter to symbolize African-American poverty in the United States
Drafted ninth round in the 1967 NFL Draft to Los Angeles Rams
Signed to play for the American Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals
Earned a masters in Social Change from Goddard College
Member of the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1978
Inducted into the California Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1996
In 2000 and 2001 County of Los Angeles and the state of Texas presented Smith with commendation, recognition and proclamation awards
Received the Courage of Conscience Award from The Peace Abbey
Track coach and sociology professor at Oberlin College in Ohio at the time of induction
Temple University Press published autobiography titled, “Silent Gesture” in 2007
Awarded the Presidential Award for Activism in 2013 from Goddard College
Accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2008 ESPY Awards and was recognized at the White House by President Obama in 2016.

Olympic Experience

1-time Olympian; 1-time Olympic medalist (1 gold)

Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, gold (200m - Men)

Athlete News#

Lee Evans, Olympic Champ And Human Rights Activist, Dies At 74
...
May 19, 2021

Hall Of Fame Bio #

Tommie Smith, of Clarksville, Texas, received a scholarship to run track and field at San Jose State University where he won the NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1966 and the 220-yard title in 1967. He set 13 world records throughout his career, and held 11 simultaneously. At the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, Smith clinched gold in the 200-meter, setting a world record with a time of 19.83 seconds. At the award ceremony, he courageously stood up for racial equality on the world’s largest stage during the civil rights movement, with his black-gloved fist raised in the air and removing shoes, alongside teammate, John Carlos. This act established a legacy of championing for equal rights that continues to inspire activists today. Smith received the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey for his lifelong commitment to athletics, education and human rights. In 2008, he accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2008 ESPY Awards for his salute and was recognized at the White House by President Barack Obama in 2016.