John Youie Woodruff (July 5, 1915 – October 30, 2007) was an American athlete and winner of the 800 metre run at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Athletics, known as Track and Field in the United States has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, 29 athletics events were contested 23 for men and 6 for women Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin

Born in Connellsville, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, U.S., "Long" John Woodruff was only a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh in 1936 when he placed second at the National AAU meet, earning a spot on the U. Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, 57 miles (92 km southeast of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River Fayette County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University Official NameAmateur Athletic Union of the United States Incorporated (AAU S. Olympic team. Despite his inexperience, he was the favorite in the Olympic 800 metre 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. 9 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. [1]

During a career that was curtailed by World War II, Woodruff won one AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) title in 800 m in 1937 and won both 440 yd (400 m) and 880 yd (800 m) IC4A titles from 1937 to 1939. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Official NameAmateur Athletic Union of the United States Incorporated (AAU IC4A or ICAAAA ( Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America) is an annual men's Competition held at different colleges every year Woodruff also held a share of the world 4 x 880-yard (800 m) relay record while competing with the national team. During a relay race, members of a team take turns Running, Orienteering, Swimming, Cross-country skiing, Biathlon, or Skating

Woodruff graduated in 1939, with a major in sociology, and then earned a Masters Degree in the same field from New York University in 1941. Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. He entered military service in 1941 as a Second Lieutenant and was discharged as a Captain in 1945. He reentered military service during the Korean War, and left in 1957 as a Lieutenant Colonel. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the He was the Battalion commander of the 369th Artillery later the 569 Transportation Battalion New York Army National Guard. The New York National Guard comprises both Army and Air National Guard components

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. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous and an assistant to the Center Director for Edison Job Corps Center in New Jersey. Job Corps is a no-cost education and Vocational training program administered by the Office of the United States Secretary of the Department of Labor John Woodruff is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis (section 46, lot 86). There is also a locality '''Crown Hill''' Seattle Washington.

Trivia

• Each year, a 5-kilometer road race is held in Connellsville to honor Woodruff.

• Woodruff was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter organization established for African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha ( ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans Founded on December 4 1906 on the campus of The Greek alphabet (Ελληνικό αλφάβητο is a set of twenty-four letters that has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal [2]

External links

• 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
• NY Times Obituary
• John Woodruff - Condolence book (Hungarian)