Long Jumper Stanley Johnson ’36 Holds MIT's Longest Standing Record

Long jump contenders have quite a history at MIT. In 1936, senior Stanley Johnson was an MIT senior on a mission, competing for an Olympic berth to Berlin against the likes of Jesse Owens, Ohio State; Kermit King, Pittsburg, Kansas; and Al Olson, USC. He was the only non-scholarship athlete vying for this honor.

Although Johnson fell a bit short in the Olympic trials, his record long jump of 24’2” at MIT still stands! In hot pursuit is Stephen Morton ’10 who finished 8th at the 2008 NCAA National Division III Championships with a long jump of 22’3”. His personal best at MIT is 23’8”, just 6 inches short of Stan’s record.

“The story is a great one for MIT and for collegiate sports in general,” says Professor Donald Morrison ’61, PhD ’82, a member of the “top 6” long jump club at MIT. “Stanley has done something quite special and we want to celebrate his accomplishment as well as give Stephen Morton the incentive to leap to greater distances before he graduates in 2010.”

Read the full story to find out about the rest of the top six long jumpers from MIT.