There is no question about the profound impact coaches have on their athletes - some laudable, some unprintable, but all memorable.
None stand out more than one of the most outstanding coaches in track history...John Jacobs.
The Jake Files These files show only a portion of the amazing accomplishments of John Jacobs during his lengthy career. Browse through them and enjoy the journey as you go back through OU track and field history.
1. Results of Oklahoma Intercollegiate Meet May 14, 1914 - Jake won Highs, Lows, Long Jump, 2nd in HJ and ran leg on Mile Relay
2. Results of intercollegiate in 1915 won by Texas 48 2/3, OU 43, Tex.A&M 21, Rice 6, Southwestern 4, Ok A&M 3 Jake and Clyde Littlefield of Texas exchanged wins in the hurdles, Jake also won the HJ and LJ. Article is in the right hand column of the paper.
3. Publicity photo of Jake and Bill “Dennis” Weaver. Probably taken at the time when Jake appeared on the “This is Your Life” program that honored Dennis. “This Is Your Life” was a weekly nationally televised program.
4. Biography of events and honors
5. Photo from “This is Your Life”
6. Photo from “This is Your Life”
7. From “The Umpire” an OU school paper. This is a partial account of an OU – Texas dual meet. Jake was chosen as ‘Best All Round Man”.
8. May 11, 1915 1st Southwestern Association Track and Field Meet. Was this the precursor of the old Southwest Conference?
9. May 12, 1914. Photo spread prior to Oklahoma Intercollegiate Meet.
10. May 18, 1915 Partial results of 1915 Southwestern Association meet seen in Rt. Hand column. On left side of paper is the pre-meet publicity for the following week for the Oklahoma intercollegiate meet.
11. May 20, 1913 State Intercollegiate Meet
12. May 29, 1915 Excerpt (retyped) from Oklahoma Daily
13. Results of an early season intrasquad or “try out “ meet. R.G. Soutar was the coach in those days. I notice that the hammer throw was regularly contested in those days, but by the early 1960’s had all but died out, due probably to resulting tragedies and no throwing cages. Now it’s back at most collegiate meets.
14. Oklahoma All Sports Banquet , probably late 1950’s
15. Oklahoma Track Coach of the Year 1953
16. Comments on end of Jake’s collegiate running career.
17. Daily Oklahoman May 23, 1915
18. Oklahoma Intercollegiate Meet 1915 with some comments added probably by Bill Jacobs.
19. 3 photos of Jake 1915 high hurdles, low hurdles, long jump. Note construction of hurdles
20.Rockne Club
21. “This is Your Life” photo with host Ralph Edwards, Jake, and Dennis
22. Accounts of some of Jake’s coaching accomplishments.
23. Biography Page 1
24. Biography Page 2
25. Biography Page 3
26. Biography Page 4 after this a page is missing
27. Biography Page 5
