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Rafer Johnson

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Inducted: 1994
Induction Class: Chi Chi Rodriguez (Golf), Arthur Ashe (Tennis), Rafer Johnson (Track & Field)
Sport: Olympic Games (Athletics)
Years Active: 1954-1960
Born: Aug. 18, 1935
Birthplace: Hillsboro, Texas
Community Focus: Children & Youth, Sports & Recreation
Foundation: Rafer Johnson Children’s Center and Special Olympics Southern California

Rafer Johson, two time Olympian and gold medalist in the decathlon, has improved the lives of many afflicted with disabilities through the Rafter Johnson Children’s Center and Special Olympics.  Johnson was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 1994, which included golf great Chi Chi Rodriguez and tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
               
After spending high school playing football, basketball, and baseball, Rafer Johnson chose to dedicate his athletic versatility to the decathlon. During his first year of competition at UCLA he broke the world record. In 1955 Johnson qualified to compete for the United States in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, in both the decathlon and the long jump. He took silver in the decathlon in the Melbourne games, and four years later captured gold at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.

Johnson went on to found the Rafer Johnson Children’s Center, a school in California for children with disabilities. The programs serve students from birth through kindergarten who have been identified as having disabilities ranging from mild to severe.  He also founded the California Special Olympics in 1969 and remains involved in many capacities including as a coach, as head of the Board of Governors in California and as a member of the International Board of Special Olympics.