John Woodruff (athlete)

American middle distance runner

John Woodruff

John Woodruff winning the 800 m race at the 1936 Olympics

Personal information
Born| July 5, 1915
South Connellsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died| October 30, 2007 (aged 92)
Fountain Hills, Arizona, U.S.
Alma mater| University of Pittsburgh
Sport
Sport| Athletics
Event| 400-1500 meter
Club| Pittsburgh Panthers
Retired| 1940[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)| 440 yards – 47.0 (1937)
880 yards – 1:47.7i (1940)
Mile – 4:12.8 (1939)[1][2]

Medal record

Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
| 1936 Berlin | 800 m

John Youie "Long John" Woodruff (July 5, 1915 – October 30, 2007) was an American middle-distance runner, winner of the 800 meter event at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[3][1]

## Early life

[edit]

Woodruff was only a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh in 1936 when he placed second at the National Amateur Athletic Union meet and first at the Olympic Trials (in the heat 1:49.9; WR 1:49.8), earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Woodruff was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[4]

Despite his inexperience, he was the favorite in the Olympic 800 meter run, and he did not disappoint. In one of the most exciting races in Olympic history, Woodruff became boxed in by other runners and was forced to stop running. He then came from behind to win in 1:52.9. The New York Times described the race:

> He remembers the anguish of his Olympic race: "Phil Edwards, the Canadian doctor, set the pace, and it was very slow. On the first lap, I was on the inside, and I was trapped. I knew that the rules of running said if I tried to break out of a trap and fouled someone, I would be disqualified. At that point, I didn't think I could win, but I had to do something."

> Woodruff was a 21-year-old college freshman, an unsophisticated and, at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m), an ungainly runner. But he was a fast thinker, and he made a quick decision.

> "I didn't panic," he said. "I just figured if I had only one opportunity to win, this was it. I've heard people say that I slowed down or almost stopped. I didn't almost stop. I stopped, and everyone else ran around me."

> Then, with his stride of almost 10 feet (3.0 m), Woodruff ran around everyone else. He took the lead, lost it on the backstretch, but regained it on the final turn and won the gold medal.[5]

During a career that was curtailed by World War II, Woodruff won one Amateur Athletic Union title in 800 meter in 1937 and won both 440 yd (400 m) and 880 yd (800 m) IC4A titles from 1937 to 1939. Woodruff also held a share of the world 4×880 yard relay record while competing with the national team.

Woodruff graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1939, with a major in sociology. While at the University of Pittsburgh, Woodruff became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. and then earned a master's degree in the same field from New York University in 1941. He entered military service in 1941 as a second lieutenant and was discharged as a captain in 1945. He re-entered military service during the Korean War era, and left in 1957 as a lieutenant colonel. He was a battalion commander in the 369th Coastal Artillery Regiment, later the 569th Transportation Battalion of the New York Army National Guard.

## Later years

[edit]

In later years Woodruff lived in New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York[6] and in Hightstown, New Jersey.[5] He coached young athletes and officiated at local and Madison Garden track meets.[7] Woodruff also worked as a teacher in New York City, a special investigator for the New York Department of Welfare, a recreation center director for the New York City Police Athletic League, a parole officer for the state of New York, a salesperson for Schieffelin and Co. and an assistant to the Center Director for Edison Job Corps Center in New Jersey. In the late 1990s John, with his wife Rose, retired to Fountain Hills, Arizona residing at Fountain View Village retirement community. Woodruff's last public appearance was on April 15, 2007 when he, along with the members of the Tuskegee Airmen, was honored by the Arizona Diamondbacks by throwing out the first pitch. John Woodruff is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis (section 46, lot 86).[8]

## Legacy

[edit]

Each year, a 5-kilometer road race is held in Connellsville to honor Woodruff. In 2016, the 1936 Olympic journey of the eighteen Black American athletes, including Woodruff, was documented in the film Olympic Pride, American Prejudice.[9]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "John Woodruff". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
2. ^ "John Woodruff". trackfield.brinkster.net.
3. ^ "John Woodruff 1936 Olympics".
4. ^ Brothers On The Move: Omicron Alumni Spotlight: John Woodruff. powerfulpaac.com. January 4, 2007
5. ^ a b Litsky, Frank. "A Victory That's Still Memorable 70 Years Later", The New York Times, August 1, 2006. Accessed November 10, 2012. "He spoke from Fountain Hills, Ariz., near Phoenix, where he and Rose have lived in a two-bedroom apartment in a senior housing complex for five years since moving from Hightstown, N.J."
6. ^ "Lincoln Avenue Corridor NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
7. ^ John Woodruff, an Olympian, Dies at 92, The New York Times 2007
8. ^ "Notable People". Crown Hill Heritage Foundation. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
9. ^ Henderson, Odie (August 5, 2016). "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice movie review (2016)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved April 11, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Woodruff.

* John Woodruff, Connellsville's Olympic Champion by Jim Kriek
* The John Woodruff Story by Julie Bertsch
* Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on Woodruff's 70th anniversary of race
* Article on Woodruff, 70 years after his Olympic race
* John Woodruff feature on The Olympic Show on YouTube
* Woodruff's 1936 Gold Medal Race on YouTube
* John Woodruff's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project

* v
* t
* e

Olympic Champions in men's 800 metres

* 1896:  Edwin Flack (AUS)
* 1900:  Alfred Tysoe (GBR)
* 1904:  Jim Lightbody (USA)
* 1908:  Mel Sheppard (USA)
* 1912:  Ted Meredith (USA)
* 1920:  Albert Hill (GBR)
* 1924:  Douglas Lowe (GBR)
* 1928:  Douglas Lowe (GBR)
* 1932:  Tommy Hampson (GBR)
* 1936:  John Woodruff (USA)
* 1948:  Mal Whitfield (USA)
* 1952:  Mal Whitfield (USA)
* 1956:  Tom Courtney (USA)
* 1960:  Peter Snell (NZL)
* 1964:  Peter Snell (NZL)
* 1968:  Ralph Doubell (AUS)
* 1972:  Dave Wottle (USA)
* 1976:  Alberto Juantorena (CUB)
* 1980:  Steve Ovett (GBR)
* 1984:  Joaquim Cruz (BRA)
* 1988:  Paul Ereng (KEN)
* 1992:  William Tanui (KEN)
* 1996:  Vebjørn Rodal (NOR)
* 2000:  Nils Schumann (GER)
* 2004:  Yuriy Borzakovskiy (RUS)
* 2008:  Wilfred Bungei (KEN)
* 2012:  David Rudisha (KEN)
* 2016:  David Rudisha (KEN)
* 2020:  Emmanuel Korir (KEN)
* 2024:  Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN)

* v
* t
* e

US National Championship winners in the men's 800-meter run

1876–2016|

* 1876: Harold Lambe
* 1877: Romulus Colgate
* 1878: Edward Merritt
* 1879–80: Lon Myers
* 1881: Walter Smith
* 1882: William Goodwin
* 1883: Tom Murphy
* 1884: Lon Myers
* 1885: Herbert Mitchell
* 1886: Charles Smith
* 1887–88: George Tracey
* 1888: Wm. Moffatt
* 1889: R.A. Ward
* 1890: Harry Dadmun
* 1891: Walter Dohm
* 1892–93: Theodore Turner
* 1894–96: Charles Kilpatrick
* 1897: John Cregan
* 1898: Thomas Burke
* 1899: Herbert Manvel
* 1900: Alex Grant
* 1901: Howard Hayes
* 1902: John Wright
* 1903–04: Howard Valentine
* 1905: Jim Lightbody
* 1906–08: Mel Sheppard
* 1909: Clar. Edmundsen
* 1910: Harry Gissing
* 1911–12: Mel Sheppard
* 1913–14: Homer Baker
* 1915: Leroy Campbell
* 1916: Donald Scott
* 1917: Michael Devaney
* 1918: Tom Campbell
* 1919: Joie Ray
* 1920: Earl Eby
* 1921–22: Alan Helffrich
* 1923: Ray Watson
* 1924: Edward Kirby
* 1925: Alan Helffrich
* 1926: Alva Martin
* 1927: Ray Watson
* 1928: Lloyd Hahn
* 1929: Phil Edwards
* 1930–32: Edwin Genung
* 1933: Glenn Cunningham
* 1934: Ben Eastman
* 1935: Elroy Robinson
* 1936: Charles Beetham
* 1937: John Woodruff
* 1938: Howard Borck
* 1939–41: Charles Beetham
* 1942: John Borican
* 1943: William Hulse
* 1944–45: Bob Kelley
* 1946: John Fulton
* 1947: Reggie Pearman
* 1948: Herb Barten
* 1949–51: Mal Whitfield
* 1952: Reggie Pearman
* 1953–54: Mal Whitfield
* 1955–56: Arnie Sowell
* 1957–58: Tom Courtney
* 1959: Tom Murphy
* 1960: Jim Cerveny
* 1961: Jim Dupree
* 1962: Jerry Siebert
* 1963: Bill Crothers (CAN) * Jim Dupree
* 1964: Jerry Siebert
* 1965: Morgan Groth
* 1966: Tom Farrell
* 1967–68: Wade Bell
* 1969: Byron Dyce (JAM) * Juris Luzins
* 1970: Ken Swenson
* 1971: Juris Luzins
* 1972: Dave Wottle
* 1973–74: Rick Wohlhuter
* 1975: Mark Enyeart
* 1976: James Robinson
* 1977: Mark Belger
* 1978–82: James Robinson
* 1983: David Patrick
* 1984: James Robinson
* 1985–87: Johnny Gray
* 1988: Mark Everett
* 1989: Johnny Gray
* 1990–91: Mark Everett
* 1992: Johnny Gray
* 1993–94: Mark Everett
* 1995: Brandon Rock
* 1996: Johnny Gray
* 1997–98: Mark Everett
* 1999: Khadevis Robinson
* 2000: Mark Everett
* 2001–03: David Krummenacker
* 2004: Jonathan Johnson
* 2005–07: Khadevis Robinson
* 2008–12: Nick Symmonds
* 2013–14: Duane Solomon
* 2015: Nick Symmonds
* 2016: Clayton Murphy
* 2017: Donavan Brazier
* 2018: Clayton Murphy
* 2019: Donavan Brazier
* 20212020 OT: Clayton Murphy
* 2022-23: Bryce Hoppel

Notes|

* Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships

* OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.

* 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

* v
* t
* e

1936 USA Olympic track and field team

Qualification|

* 1936 United States Olympic trials (track and field)

Men's track
and road athletes|

* Ellison "Tarzan" Brown
* Harold Cagle (r)
* Ernest Crosbie
* Glenn Cunningham
* Glen Dawson
* Tom Deckard
* Foy Draper (r)
* Al Fitch (r)
* Glenn Hardin
* Chuck Hornbostel
* Johnny Kelley
* Ernest Koehler
* Don Lash
* James LuValle
* Albert Mangan
* Harold Manning
* Joe McCluskey
* Billy McMahon
* Ralph Metcalfe
* Eddie O'Brien (r)
* Jesse Owens
* Bob Packard
* Joe Patterson
* Eino Pentti
* Fritz Pollard
* Mack Robinson
* Archie San Romani
* Dale Schofield
* Harold Smallwood
* Roy Staley
* Forrest Towns
* Gene Venzke
* Archie Williams
* Harry Williamson
* John Woodruff
* Stanley Wudyka
* Frank Wykoff
* Bob Young (r)
* Louis Zamperini

Men's field athletes|

* Dave Albritton
* Lee Bartlett
* John Brooks
* Billy Brown
* Ken Carpenter
* Bob Clark
* Henry Dreyer
* Gordon Dunn
* Don Favor
* Sam Francis
* Bill Graber
* Cornelius Johnson
* Earle Meadows
* Malcolm Metcalf
* Glenn Morris
* Jesse Owens
* Jack Parker
* Rolland Romero
* Bill Rowe
* Bill Sefton
* Alton Terry
* Delos Thurber
* Jack Torrance
* Dudley Wilkins
* Walter Wood
* Dimitri Zaitz

Women's track athletes|

* Harriet Bland
* Anne O'Brien
* Tidye Pickett
* Betty Robinson (r)
* Annette Rogers
* Simone Schaller
* Helen Stephens

Women's field athletes|

* Alice Arden
* Betty Burch
* Evelyn Ferrara
* Kathlyn Kelley
* Annette Rogers
* Helen Stephens
* Gertrude Wilhelmsen
* Martha Worst

Non-competing relay pool members|

* Marty Glickman
* Olive Hasenfus
* Louise Stokes
* Sam Stoller
* Josephine Warren

Coaches|

* Lawson Robertson (men's head coach)
* Dean Cromwell (men's assistant coach)
* Brutus Hamilton (men's assistant coach)
* Billy Hayes (men's assistant coach)
* Dee Boeckmann (women's coach)

* v
* t
* e

USTFCCCA Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country Athlete Hall of Fame

Class of 2022|

* Jenny Barringer
* Ralph Boston
* Ron Delany
* Harrison Dillard
* Suzy Favor
* Charlie Greene
* Carlette Guidry
* DeHart Hubbard
* Vicki Huber
* Jackie Johnson
* Jackie Joyner
* Sally Kipyego
* Carl Lewis
* Gerry Lindgren
* Randy Matson
* Ralph Metcalfe
* Rodney Milburn
* Bobby Morrow
* Suleiman Nyambui
* Billy Olson
* Merlene Ottey
* Jesse Owens
* Mel Patton
* Steve Prefontaine
* Meg Ritchie
* Henry Rono
* Wilma Rudolph
* Jim Ryun
* Erick Walder
* John Woodruff

Class of 2023|

* Dyrol Burleson
* Michael Carter
* Joetta Clark
* Michael Conley
* Sheila Hudson
* Holli Hyche
* Edwin Moses
* Renaldo Nehemiah
* Sonia O'Sullivan
* Julie Shea
* Seilala Sua
* John Thomas
* Wyomia Tyus
* Dave Wottle

Class of 2024|

* Rosalyn Bryant
* Regina Cavanaugh
* Hollis Conway
* Bill Dellinger
* Benita Fitzgerald
* Glenn Hardin
* Balázs Kiss
* Marty Liquori
* Larry Myricks
* Louise Ritter
* Karl Salb
* Amy Skieresz
* Trecia-Kaye Smith
* Angela Williams

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Israel
* United States

Other|

* SNAC

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