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Wolcott Elected to National Track & Field Hall of Fame
11/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Nov. 4, 2005
Houston -
Rice track and field legend Fred Wolcott Thursday became the first Rice athlete elected to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, joining an impressive group of inductees in the Class of 2005. The other inductees announced by USA Track & Field are hurdler Roger Kingdom, long jump world record-holder Mike Powell, University of Arkansas head coach John McDonnell, miler Wes Santee, and throwers Earlene Brown and Jim Fuchs.
Although the prime of Wolcott's outstanding career occurred when there was no Olympic Games because of World War II, his accomplishments stand as a testament to one of the greatest hurdlers of all-time. He broke world records seven times during the late 1930s and early 1940s and was the first man to hold IAAF world records in the high and low hurdles at the same time. One of his most notable performances came in 1940 when he broke Jesse Owens' world record in the 220-yard low hurdles with a time of 22.5 seconds. The next year, he equaled the world record in the high hurdles with a time of 13.7 seconds at the AAU Championships in Philadelphia. The winner of seven National AAU Outdoor titles (110m hurdles 1938, 1940, 1941 - 220y hurdles 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941), Wolcott won the AAU Indoor 60y hurdles crown in 1942. As a collegiate star at Rice, Wolcott won the NCAA 120y hurdles title in 1938 and 1939, and the NCAA 220y hurdles crown in 1938, 1939 and 1940. Wolcott, who won 10 Southwest Conference gold medals as a collegian, was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1958. Wolcott died in 1972.
USATF announced the inductees Thursday afternoon in New York, site of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and host of this Sunday's New York City Marathon. The Class of 2005 will be inducted Thursday evening, December 1, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held in conjunction with USATF's 2005 Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, Fla.
"I take great pride in welcoming the Class of 2005 into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame," said USATF President Bill Roe. "These remarkable individuals have made tremendous contributions to the legacy of USA Track & Field, and I congratulate them for all their accomplishments."
"All of us at USA Track & Field look forward to these all-time greats taking their rightful places in the National Track & Field Hall of Fame," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "All seven made indelible and unique contributions to the heritage of our sport, and they couldn't be more deserving of this honor."