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By Gerry Swan

HARRY JEROME:  BORN: SEPTEMBER 30, 1940:  DIED:  DECEMBER 7, 1982

On Thursday evening I will be at Swangard Stadium attending this year’s celebration of the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track and Field Classic  As per usual, I expect the meet to be entertaining, as the competition has attracted world-class athletes from a number of the globe’s track and field powerhouses including Canada.   But a major reason I will be attending stems from its title:  HARRY JEROME TRACK CLASSIC.  

It’s difficult to believe that 36.5 years have passed since the untimely death of Harry Jerome, a demise brought about by a brain aneurysm when he was a mere 42-years of age.  Young as he was when Harry passed away, he had packed so much into a life filled with accomplishment, turmoil, revival and rejuvenation that it seemed he must have been much older when he was taken from us.

In the following paragraphs my purpose is not to detail a complete biographical history of Harry’s accomplishments, disappointments, struggles and comeback as that has been well documented by others and a comprehensive bio is included on the Jerome meet web page.  But I was fortunate to have known Harry (and his coach John Minichiello) personally and, therefore, had the privilege of being witness to some of the things that drove this individual whom Olympic Champion Donavan Bailey described as “one of the truly greats of Canadian Track and Field history and an individual who should have a Canadian coin minted in his (Jerome’s) memory.”    

In 1959 I was one of thousands of fans sitting in Vancouver’s Empire Stadium watching the Vancouver and District Inter High Track meet when 18-year old Harry Jerome, representing North Vancouver High School, won the 220 yd dash in the time of 21.9, a clocking that established a Canadian Senior Men’s record that had been established 31-years previously by Olympic 100-meter Champion Percy Williams.  A schoolboy breaking a senior men’s record that had been established by the 1928 Olympic Champion: that was difficult to comprehend but true it was.

Not unlike many others it was difficult for me to truly come to grips with the accomplishments of this young phenomenon and in the beginning I stood back a bit.  Perhaps it was because I was a friend of his coach or perhaps he thought I should realize that what was happening was real and at a meet Harry approached me and suggested that perhaps I should have a bit of faith in him.   Jerome’s approach was so direct and personal that I was instantaneously won over and from that point on was a Harry Jerome supporter.

Oh there were critics and doubters.  Al Davidson was a favorite, if controversial, sport’s announcer of the time.  “Big Al,” as he was referred to, did sport’s editorials and he drew his ratings by being controversial.  Big Al decided that Harry should be the subject of his wrath and aired several critical and unfair editorials directed at Jerome.  On a Saturday afternoon when Harry was competing in New Westminster, Davidson turned up and suggested to Jerome that he would like to do an interview with Harry.  His approach was not well received by Jerome who reminded him in no uncertain terms how unfair Davidson’s criticism was of him at the Empire Games when Harry had been injured.   The interview did not take place.

Canadian track surfaces in the 1970’s were undergoing change: first from cinder or clay based compositions and then to rubberized surfaces that became quite soft in the hot summers and hard as concrete in cold weather.  One of these new surfaces was installed at the University of Alberta, the site of a Canadian Championship.  There was a problem as holes were bored into the starting line in which large spikes passed through the starting blocks and into the holes to hold the blocks in place.  Trouble occurred when it was discovered that the spacing of the holes would not accommodate Harry’s blocks and in the prelims he had to use other blocks and that could not be adjusted to Harry’s liking.  The night before the final of the 100-meters it was reported that unnamed friends of Harry, went by darkness of night to the starting line and bore holes in the two possible lanes that Harry would have for the final so that his blocks could be accommodated.

Harry Jerome would give generously of his time to help promote the sport of track and field.  A new track had been built at Abbotsford Secondary School and I asked Harry if he would run a 100-meters to inaugurate the track.  Jerome accepted the request and without remuneration of any type (would that happen with present day stars) he turned up in the pouring rain and ran a 100-meters.  The other lanes of that race were filled with high school athletes of the time and one of them was a boy named Ken Peace who went on to become a Canadian international rugby player and a Hall of Fame member.  On several occasions over the years when I have met with Ken he never hesitates to mention that a highlight of his athletics career was being able to run against Jerome and then be able to shake Harry’s hand at the conclusion of the race.

Jerome lived and competed at a different and complicated era in race relations and, the years he spent competing for the University of Oregon presented some problems. There was the time when the black athletes on the track team wore their Duck uniforms inside out to express their dissatisfaction.  Strains were placed on a inter-racial marriage between Harry and his wife, Wendy Carole Foster, a fellow Canadian from Alberta who had met Harry when she like him, was a student at Oregon.  Undoubtedly, some of the strain was probably caused by financial hardships and the fact that Harry was constantly on the road competing.  And at the end of his university days, Harry had the struggle to secure financial resources to support his wife and daughter.  At the time there was no direct government support for Olympic athletes and prize money for competitions was easier said then secured and those funds that were available always had to be paid under the table in order for an athlete to remain eligible for so called amateur competitions such as the Olympics.

The Perth, Australia, Commonwealth Games of 1962 was undoubtedly a low point in Jerome’s running career.  It just seemed to be that what could go wrong did go wrong in Perth.  Harry contracted a high fever followed by a leg injury that caused him to loose power and he had to withdraw from the meet.  Perth doctors diagnosed the injury as a rupture of the rectus femoris muscle.  Canadian newspapers were yet again merciless with criticism of Jerome but a statement by Charles Wayland, commandant of the Canadian team, described the seriousness of Jerome’s injury and the need for him to immediately return to Canada for surgery or his running career would be at an end and that statement deflected the criticism.  Upon his return home surgery was performed on Jerome’s leg by Dr. Hector Gillespie who used a new technique to reattach his quadriceps muscle to his knee.  The procedure worked and after a year’s recovery period, Jerome was once again able to compete.

It was, at least, just and proper that near the end of his career, Jerome came away winning a bronze medal in the 100-meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.  American Bob Hayes won the race in an Olympic record of 10.0 with Enrique Figuerola of Cuba second in the same 10.2 timing as Jerome. I remember vividly the day of Jerome’s run in the final and the tension there was at first wondering what his finishing position had been.  The decision on the athletes’ finishing positions was delayed as the finish line photos had to be examined carefully to determine the final placement.  After what seemed like an age it was announced that Jerome had won the bronze medal.  Hayes of course became an all-pro football player with the Dallas Cowboys and he eventually was inducted into Footballs’ Hall of Fame.  But towards the end of his playing career Hayes was plagued with problems of his own not the least of which was drug addiction.  Sadly Hayes died in 2002 the result of kidney failure combined with prostate cancer.

In the final years of Jerome’s running career he tied Hayes World record for 100-yds (9.1), won the 100 meter gold medal at the 1996 Commonwealth Games and was the gold medalist in the 100-meters at the 1967 Winnipeg Pan American Games.    Jerome’s competitive career virtually concluded at the 1976 Olympic Games in Mexico where at 28-years of age he placed seventh in the 100-meter final.

Although Jerome did not win an Olympic gold medal, he has always remained in my mind as Canada’s all time “outstanding track and field athlete.”  Jerome was an athlete endowed with natural speed and a fluid running style, a runner who worked hard in his chosen field of athletics, a person who overcame so many obstacles, a runner who reached out in the promotion of Canadian track but an athlete that did not receive the financial support needed.  Jerome elevated Canada’s position in the world of athletics and he gave back in droves to the sport that he excelled at and, yet, gained little if anything from a financial point of view.  One can only wonder what his accomplishments would have been if he competed on the lightening fast tracks that are available today, if he had been blessed with the financial rewards that would have been provided him now complete with all the care and attention that is afforded a world class athlete.  

On Thursday evening this year’s Harry Jerome Classic takes place at Swangard.  I will be thinking about Harry Jerome and they will be good thoughts.  I will know that he set the example of what can be accomplished if an athlete of talent extends him or herself to overcome obstacles and go on to be a true leader.    

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