John Woodruff (2018) - Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame

John Woodruff

Induction:
2018
Class:
1939

Woodruff was the first Pitt athlete to earn Olympic gold and did so at the famed 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. At those '36 Games, he was the first of four African-Americans to win a gold medal in track and field. Woodruff claimed his gold medal in the 800-meter run, winning a race that is considered one of the most dramatic in Olympic history. Following his Olympic triumph, Woodruff never lost another race. He won the Amateur Athletic Union 800-meter title in 1937. Woodruff also won three consecutive NCAA 880-yard titles from 1937-39. In 1940, he set the United States record of 1:48.6 at the Compton Invitational. Woodruff's decorated legacy also includes gold medals at the historic Penn Relays.