Background
Bobby Joe Morrow was born in Harlingen, Texas, and raised on a farm in San Benito, Texas.
Bobby Joe Morrow was born in Harlingen, Texas, and raised on a farm in San Benito, Texas.
Morrow has been called "the dominant sprinter of the 1950s" and "the most relaxed sprinter of all time, even more so than his hero Jesse Owens". Before becoming a sprinter, Morrow played football for San Benito High School. His most successful season was in 1956, when he was chosen by Sports Illustrated as "Sportsman of the Year".
First, he was victorious in the 100-meter dash.
He then led an American sweep of the medals in the 200-meter dash, while equaling the World Record at that distance. The three performances are encapsulated in Video on YouTube.
Morrow"s success on a national level continued after the Olympics, but he retired in 1958 to become a farmer and a woodworker. He made a short comeback before the 1960 Olympics but failed to qualify for the United States Olympic team
In October 2006, San Benito High School named its new 11,000 seat sporting facility Bobby Morrow Stadium.
Mr. Morrow was on hand to help dedicate the new facility.
Morrow won the 1955 Amateur Athletic Union 100-yard title. Morrow won the sprint double in the national college championships and defended his Amateur Athletic Union title. Morrow then went to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, where he won three gold medals and was the leader of the American sprint team He won his third gold by anchoring the 4×100-meter relay team to a World Record time. Morrow achieved great fame after winning his three gold medals, and was featured on the covers of Life magazine and SPORT magazine, as well as Sports Illustrated.
Morrow also was a sprinter at Abilene Christian University and a member of the men"s club Frater Sodalis.
