Lee Edward Evans was born on February 25, 1947, in Madera, California to Dayton and Pearlie Mae Evans. At the age of four, his family moved to Fresno. During his childhood, he harvested grapes and picked cotton in fields with his brothers and sisters.
He attended Madison Elementary School and in his last year there trained for his first race by racing his friends at school. Evans went on to Central Union High School where he was classified in the C class for the 660 yard dash due to his height, weight, and age.
Due to his mother contracting Valley fever, the Evans family moved to San Jose, California, during Lee’s sophomore year. While running for Overfelt High School, Evans was undefeated, improving his 440-yard time from 48.2 in 1964 to 46.9 in 1965.
Evans was a Fulbright scholar in sociology[6] and attended San Jose State, where he was coached by Hall of Famer Bud Winter.
In 1966 as a freshman, he won his first AAU championship in 440 yd (402.34 m). He won the AAU title four years in a row (1966–1969) and again in 1972 and added the NCAA 400 m title in 1968.
His only defeat during that streak came at the hands of San Jose State teammate Tommie Smith.
The two were so competitive, Winter could not let them practice together.
Evans achieved his first world record in 1966, as a member of the USA national team which broke the 4 × 400 m relay record at Los Angeles, the first team to better 3 minutes (2:59.6) in the event. The next year he helped break the 4 x 220 yd (201.17 m) relay world record at Fresno in a time of 1:22.1.
In 1967, Evans won the 400 metres at the Pan American Games, in an automatic time of 44.95, which (in the era of hand times) was the first bona fide automatic time to break 45 seconds.
LEE EDWARD EVANS, FULBRIGHT PROFESSOR AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION BIOGRAPHY
2010 to Present DIRECTOR OF COACHING/ATHLETICS
Director of Coaching for KIMA INC a sport consulting firm that has a contract to develop sports in the small villages and towns in Cross River State in Eastern Nigeria. We are also involved in helping to educate young Nigerian athletes so that they will be able to get scholarships to universities in America.
Train local coaches in the new techniques of athletics coaching.
Identify promising athletes to be trained to one day represent Nigeria in the Olympic Games and other World Championships.
2008 to 2010 UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Conakry, Guinea
Director of Sports
I was for the coordination of the various sporting teams that will participate in the Mano River Youth Peace Games/Symposium.
Responsible for the venues and the equipment needed for the success of the games.
Train the officials and volunteers for the various sports.
I was responsible for the transportation for the athletes and officials to all the venues in Conakry during the games.
Assist the Project Coordinator in all matters concerning the successful implementation of the games.
2002-2008 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Mobile, Alabama
Head Track and Cross Country Coach Men and Women
Responsible for administering all aspect
Of the program under my charge, including coaching,
Recruiting, recommending financial aid, making travel
Arrangements, working with the Director of Athletics
Regarding budgets, requisitioning equipment, supervising
Assistants, aware of academic progress of student athletes,
And filling other related duties that might arise.
2000-2002 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Seattle, Washington
Assistant Track and Field Coach Men and Women
Responsible for sprints and relay teams
Develop and supervise workouts; administer recruiting
Activities; manage budget; organize travel and competitions.
Coached 8 qualifying athletes for NCAA Championships,
I also coached one athlete who qualified for the American Team for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
1997-1999 Madagascar Antananarivo
National Coach Responsible for selecting, training, and managing men’s and
Women’s teams for national and international competition;
Developed training programs, policies, budgets, and staff
activities.
Hosted international competitions and coached National
team athletes to place first at 1997 Indian Ocean Games.
1994-1997 Saudi Arabia Athletic Federation Jeddah
National Coach Managed national training camp and $1,125,000 budget;
Responsible for selecting, training, and managed men’s
Athletic team; developed programs and athletic policies.
I coached national team to first place at 1995 Gulf Championships and 4x400M relay team to semifinals in 1996 Olympics. I also managed national training camps.
1990-1994 Qatar Doha
National Coach Selected, trained, and managed men’s athletic team; developed training programs and managed $1,200,000 budget;
Coached first athlete to represent Qatar in Olympics, 1500M
Bronze medallist, and seventh place 400M sprinter in 1992
Olympics; developed 1993 Gulf Championship winners.
1988-1990 Special Olympics International, Washington, D.C.
Athletic Organized and implemented training programs for athletes
Director and coaches worldwide; responsible for a international
Competition for 90 countries and 10,000 athletes.
1986-1988 Cameroon Yaounde
National Coach Responsible for selecting, training, and managing men’s and
Women’s teams for national and international competition;
I developed training programs and athletic policies.
Coached three athletes who qualified for the World
Championships the 1986 and 1988 Olympic Games.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
1986-1988 Fulbright Professor of Physical Education at the University
of Yaounde, Cameroon.
1982-1984 Program Coordinator, Sports America, U.S. State
department, Washington D.C.
1975-1981 National Athletics Coach, of Nigeria.
Professor of Physical Education, University of Ife-Ife and
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
I coached 15 qualifying Olympians.
AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Fulbright Professor, Council for International Scholar Exchange, xxxx
1968 Olympic Gold Medal winner, 400M and 4x400M relay
World Record holder, 400M, xxxx-xxxx
World Record holder, 600M, xxxx-xxxx
World Record holder, 4x400M relay, xxxx-xxxx
Member, USA Olympic Hall of Fame
Member, USA Track and Field Hall of Fame
Member, San Francisco Hall of Fame
Member, San Jose Hall of Fame
Member, San Jose State University Hall of Fame
Winner of NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, xxxx
Coach of the Year, Nigeria, 1979
Sprint Coach, All-African Team, World Cup, 1979
Selected to 100 Golden Olympians, 1996
Member, 1968 U.S. Olympic Team
Member, 1972 U.S. Olympic Team
Coach of the year 2005 Sunbelt Conference
Coach of the year 2006 Sunbelt Conference
Coach of the year 2007 Sunbelt Conference
EDUCATION
San Jose State University and University of Ife-Ife, Nigeria, completed academic
Work for Master of Arts, Education, xxxx
San Jose State University, Bachelor of Arts, Education, xxxx
SELECTED LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
· 1968: Young Black Men and the Struggle for Civil Rights
· Race and the Olympics: An Insider’s Story
· Travels in Africa and the Middle East (1976-1999): A Black Olympian’s Odyssey
· The “New” African Athletes: How did it happen?
· Coaching in Africa and the Middle East 1976-1999
· An African American in Africa and the Middle East: Reflections on Cultural
Differences and Similarities
· Home Again: A Black Olympian’s Perspectives on America after 20 Years inAfrica
· The Black Athlete: Role Model or Icon
· The Superior Black Athlete: Fact or Fiction?
· BOOK “LEE EVANS IN MEXICO CITY” Published 2005
THE SOCA PROJECT
When he and his African/American friend, John Cashing, accompanied ‘the Mathematical’ to the Segun Odegbami International College and Sports Academy, SOCA, in Wasimi Orile some years ago for the first time, they saw the environment and their faces lit up.
They loved it. To Lee, this was the home he had been looking for, the ‘lost’ paradise, the Garden of Eden now found. They saw beyond what I could ever have seen.
When I offered that Lee could spend his idling time to come and teach the children how to run, he excitedly and readily accepted.
That’s how he moved with ‘the Mathematical’ to Abeokuta and adopted SOCA as his personal project, to train and run with SOCA students to sports success!
Within weeks, we were conjoined in living the dream of the biggest and best high-level sports training center in Africa.
Lee started to dig up all his old friends in positions of authority in international sports, asking for support for the academy as well as scholarships for the students into American Colleges.
John Cashin embarked on researching how the scattered bamboo plantations in the environment could become useful raw material for a Bamboo Village in Wasimi Orile where returnee African/Americans could live whilst investing in the vast agricultural opportunities that lie wasting in the environment.
Thats how Lee Evans finally settled down in Abeokuta preparing for our full settlement on the campus of SOCA in 2022.
Lee’s plans was to start an athletics revolution that would take young girls and boys from grass to grace, to mounting Olympic podiums after 3 years of the unique SOCA-experience.
He was going to enjoy the rest of his life in that community, to die and to be buried beside his ancestors.
Lee Edwards Evans farewell. Your legacy will live on.
