Riverdale, N.Y. (February 7, 2006)--Former Jasper track great and Olympic gold medalist Lou Jones '54 passed away on Friday, February 3 at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Jones, who was enshrined into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981, was 74.
The New Rochelle native starred at Manhattan before capturing Olympic Gold at the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia as a member of the United States' mile relay team. At the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City, Jones set a new world record in the 400m dash with a time of 45.4s. Jones later broke his own record at the 1956 Olympic Trials by lowering the mark to 45.2s. His time stood at the top of the record book until 1966.
As a member of Manhattan Track and Field, Jones finished first in the 440 yard dash at the 1954 IC4A Championships.
"Even though Lou is no longer with us, his impression on Manhattan Track and Field will never fade away," said current Manhattan head coach
Dan Mecca. "He helped set the standard for our program."
Visitation is on Tuesday, February 7, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at St. Catherine AME Zion Church, 19 Lincoln Ave., New Rochelle, N.Y. The funeral service is at 10:00 a.m. on February 8 at the church, with the burial following at Beechwoods Cemetery in New Rochelle.
