Education
Boston University.
Boston University.
At the age of 17, while a freshman at Boston University, Thomas became the first man to clear 7 feet (213 m) indoors. He subsequently pushed the world indoor record to 7"1½" (217 m), and broke the world outdoor record three times, with a career best jump of 7"3¾" (222 m) in 1960 while just 20 years old. In 1960, he took the bronze medal behind Russia"s Robert Shavlakadze (gold), and Valeriy Brumel (silver).
His failure in 1960 on Thursday 1 September was accompanied by other failures that day by American favorites and the day become renowned as "Black Thursday".
He is an inductee of the USATF Hall of Fame. Thomas planted his left foot for take-off and high kicked with his right leg that would lead over the Barometer
Thomas was born in Boston and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father Curtis was a bus driver and his mother Ida was a kitchen employee at Harvard University.
He graduated from Boston University in 1963 with a bachelor"s degree in physical and psychological rehabilitation.
Thomas retired from competition at the age of 27 and became a businessman. He later served as an assistant coach at Boston University and athletic director at Roxbury Community College. Thomas died at age 71 while undergoing vascular surgery at a Brockton, Massachusetts hospital.