Abilene Christian coaching legend Jackson dies
By Tom Surber, USATF
Posted Friday, 28 December, 2007
J. Oliver Jackson, a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame who coached track and field athletes from Abilene Christian University who set or tied 15 world records and won four gold medals in the Olympic Games, died Wednesday at 87 years of age.
While Jackson directed Wildcat track and field for 16 years (1948-63), Abilene Christian fielded one of the top collegiate teams in the nation. The Wildcats under Jackson won 78 titles at the Texas, Kansas and Drake Relays, and his athletes also set or tied 17 American records and 15 national collegiate records.
He developed three U.S. Olympic team members - sprinter and National Track & Field Hall of Famer Bobby Morrow, who won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400m relay in 1956 in Melbourne; quarter-miler Earl Young, who won a gold medal in the 1,600m relay in 1960 in Rome; and Billy Pemelton, who placed eighth in the pole vault in 1964 in Tokyo.
Jackson was president of the U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association, member of the NCAA Track and Field Rules Committee, referee of eight NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor track and field championship meets, and referee of the Texas high school state track and field championships for the University Interscholastic League.
A family burial will be followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m. Saturday at Highland Church of Christ, 425 Highland, under the direction of Hamil Family Funeral Home of Abilene. Family visitation will be Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene.
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
317-713-4690
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