Fred Thompson (May 21, 1933 – January 22, 2019) was an American lawyer andtrack and field coach. A graduate ofBoys High School, where he was a track athlete,City College of New York andSt. John's University School of Law, he was an Assistant Attorney General of theState of New York from 1967 to 1969. As a coach he founded theAtoms Track Club in 1963.
Thompson died from complications ofAlzheimer's disease at his home inBrooklyn, New York, on January 22, 2019.[1] That same year, he was elected into theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame.[2]
Prior toTitle IX, athletic opportunities for boys were plentiful, while girls were left out, particularly at the scholastic level. Out of frustration, Thompson created a program in aBedford-Stuyvesant community center inBrooklyn.[3] His team of 40–50 girls, age 9 and up, practiced in hallways and jumped fences into schoolyards after dark in order to train; later, thePratt Institute made facilities available.[citation needed] In 1974, Thompson founded theColgate Women's Games.[citation needed]
Among Thompson's success stories were Olympic silver medalistCheryl Toussaint; Gold and Silver medalistDiane Dixon, who was also two time World Indoor Champion; and silver medalistGrace Jackson who finished second toFlorence Griffith-Joyner's 200 meter world record.[1] In 1988, Thompson was a coach for the U.S. Olympic Team.
