Induction introduction presented by Jamie Norton, 2014 Tufts graduate head coach of Tufts men's and women's cross country and track and field

"Our next inductee is truly a legend—not just in Tufts Athletics, but in the global world of track and field. Tonight, we are honored to celebrate the life, career, and legacy of a remarkable Jumbo: Mr. Brooks Johnson.

As a student-athlete at Tufts, Brooks was exceptional. A sprinter, long jumper, and high jumper, he served as team captain and led the Jumbos to back-to-back Eastern Intercollegiate Championships in 1955 and 1956. An All-American, Brooks tied the national intercollegiate record in the 60-yard dash with a time of 6.2 seconds at the 1955 UConn Relays.

But Brooks wasn’t only known for his athleticism at Tufts. As a brilliant student and an engaged leader on campus, Brooks embodied the values of Tufts Athletics. He was a member of the Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity, served on the Tufts student council, and was active in the Sword and Shield honor society. He also wrote for the Tufts Weekly, offering insightful perspectives on issues of the day—foreshadowing a lifetime of thoughtful leadership.
 
Following graduation from Tufts in 1956, Brooks attended the University of Chicago Law School as a National Honor Scholar. He continued to compete in the sport he loved, and he set a world record in 1960 after running the 60-yard dash in a blistering 6.0 seconds. And in 1963, Brooks won a gold medal for the United States at the Pan-Am Games as a member of the 4 x 100 relay team. His sights were set squarely on winning a gold medal at the 1964 Olympic Games, but sadly, his Olympic dream ended after he sustained injuries in a car accident on the way to the qualifying meet at Stanford.

Here is an interesting thing.  We could stop right here, and everything I’ve already shared about Brooks would be plenty to warrant induction into our Hall of Fame. But the truth of the matter is that, in terms of Brooks’ contributions to society and the world of track & field, he was just getting started.

After serving in the military, Brooks moved to Washington D.C. in 1964 to become a program officer for the Governmental Affairs Institute. It was there that his coaching career started at St. Alban’s School, where he mentored hundreds of students – one of whom was a young discus thrower, and future Vice President, Al Gore. Also while at St. Albans, Brooks founded The RISK Program, which helped more than 200 inner-city boys gain access to education at elite academic institutions.

Brooks’ collegiate coaching career began in 1975 when he joined the University of Florida as an assistant track & field coach. Just four years later, he became the first African American head coach at Stanford University. Over more than a decade at Stanford, Brooks led one of the nation’s top collegiate programs and was named NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year in 1988.

Brooks had been coaching Olympians since 1960, but it was during his time at Stanford that he became an official member of the Team USA coaching staff. He coached at the Olympic Games in 1976, 1984, 2004, and 2008, including as head women’s track & field coach in 1984 and head relay coach in 2008, and many of his athletes won Olympic medals and set Olympic records.

In recognition of his incredible impact on the sport of track & field, Brooks was inducted into the USA Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2010, he was named Nike Coach of the Year by USA Track and Field. And USA Track & Field continues to award the Brooks Johnson Development Chair of the Year Award annually to individuals who follow in his footsteps by advancing excellence in track and field coaching.
 
Back in 1985, in the middle of his run as an Olympic coach, Tufts invited Brooks back to campus for Homecoming and awarded him the Presidential Medal in recognition for his contributions to Tufts and to the world at large. The Presidential Medal is the highest honor Tufts can bestow, and since it was established in 1976, Brooks remains the only former student-athlete to ever receive it. In his acceptance speech he said, “The two biggest influences in my life were my mother and Tufts University.”

Well, tonight, Tufts is so proud to celebrate Brooks and the incredibly positive influence that HE had on Tufts and the countless lives he touched. And we are so excited to induct him into the Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame.

Brooks passed away in 2024 at the age of 90. His wife, Betsy, and their son, Brooks, were intending to be here with us tonight, but had to cancel unexpectedly earlier this week.  Accepting the award in honor of Brooks tonight is his very good friend and mentee, the long-time coach at Yale, Mark Young, who Brooks coached to two national championships from 1968-1972."