Ronnie Ray Smith
A 'Speed City' sprinter who clinched Olympic gold in 1968, then dedicated his life to coaching and mentoring young athletes in California.
1949–2013 (age 64)·American Athlete·Birthday: March 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ronnie Ray Smith emerged from the powerhouse track program at San Jose State University, an era famously dubbed 'Speed City' under coach Bud Winter. As a sociology student, he honed a blistering start, becoming a key member of the U.S. Olympic team for the Mexico City Games in 1968. There, he ran the second leg for the U.S. 4x100 meter relay team, a squad that included legends like Jim Hines and Charlie Greene. They didn't just win; they obliterated the world record, clocking a time of 38.24 seconds that would stand for twenty years. That gold medal was the pinnacle of his running career, but not the end of his story in sport. After his competitive days, Smith poured his knowledge into coaching, first at his alma mater and later at Santa Monica College and for the Santa Monica Track Club. He became a respected figure on the California track scene, known less for his own past glory and more for his patient, dedicated work shaping the next generation of sprinters.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ronnie was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ronnie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Ronnie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2013Died at 64
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal as part of the world-record-setting U.S. 4x100m relay team at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
- Helped set a world record of 38.24 seconds in the 4x100m relay, a mark that stood for two decades.
- Earned All-American honors while running for San Jose State University's celebrated 'Speed City' program.
Did You Know?
The 1968 U.S. 4x100m relay team was nicknamed 'The Night Train' for its smooth, powerful baton passes.
He was a teammate of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at San Jose State, though he did not participate in their famous podium protest.
He later coached 1992 Olympic 4x400m gold medalist Quincy Watts at the Santa Monica Track Club.
His Olympic gold medal was stolen from his home in 2011 but was later recovered.
“That gold medal wasn't just for me; it was for everyone who believed in us.”
