COLORADO SPRINGS – East Texas State track legend and Lion Athletics Hall of Famer, Olympic bronze medalist, and civil rights icon Dr. John Carlos was named as an inductee to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame on Monday.
Carlos spent one season at East Texas State and made an immediate impact. He set five school records during the 1967 season and was the Lone Star Conference champion in four different events, helping lead the Lions to the LSC Championship. His school records in the 100-meters (10.2) and 200-meters (20.4) still hold after more than 50 years. He was also the gold medalist at 200 meters at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and set indoor world bests in the 60-yard dash (5.9) and the indoor 220-yard dash (21.2).
Carlos was inducted into the Lion Athletics Hall of Fame and was awarded his honorary doctorate degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 2012.
After leaving ETSU, Carlos gained worldwide fame by winning the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Carlos joined fellow American and gold medal winner Tommie Smith in a silent protest on the medal stand during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, raising his fist in what was called by Smith a "human rights salute", protesting racial inequality. The photograph of the protest is one of the most iconic images in the history of sports.
Carlos went on to tie the world record in the 100-yard dash in 1969 before turning to football. He briefly played in the Canadian Football League before an injury ended his career.
The Harlem, N.Y., native was elected into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2003 for his leadership. At the 2008 ESPY Awards he accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his salute, and was recognized at the White House by President Obama in 2016. He was part of the United States Olympic Committee during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Carlos continues to work for human rights and is a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.
Carlos and fellow protestor on the medal stand in Mexico City in 1968 – gold medalist Tommie Smith of Clarksville – are inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in the Legend category.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2019 will be honored and inducted at an awards dinner Friday, Nov. 1, at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
"The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame represents the pinnacle of competitive excellence in our nation, and its inspiring members are champions who have transcended sport through the legacy they leave both on and off the field of play," said U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland. "It's an honor to welcome the class of 2019 into this prestigious and celebrated honor roll. We thank them for their impact on sport and society, and for continuing to inspire the next generation of athletes and fans."
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