Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1968
- Class:
- 1963
John Thomas' name is synonymous with Boston University and has been since his freshman year at BU, when he set a world record in the high jump, and became the first athlete to break the 7-foot barrier.
He was selected for four consecutive years to the All-America Track team. He represented BU and the USA in the Olympics of 1960 and 1964, finishing third in Rome and second in Tokyo.
As a sophomore, he won the Bronze Medal and tied for first place with Valery Brumel of the USSR in 1964. Brumel was awarded the gold medal because of fewer misses. Thomas had competed under a severe handicap, which very few people knew about. He was suffering from a hernia and was advised that jumping could aggravate the condition. However, he competed, and the jumps of 7-foot-2 by both Thomas and Brumel established a new Olympic record.
Thomas held the world record of 7 feet 3 3/4 inches for a long time. He also is known as the man who has jumped over the 7-foot mark 191 times and was voted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame. This group represents the best of all athletes in all sports and is the envy of every amateur athlete.
