The path was never a typical one for James H. Means Jr. Now, nearly 60 years after his remarkable career running track at Texas, he’ll get his flowers.
This Friday, Means is set to be inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor along with 10 other former Longhorns, a nod that’s long overdue given his contributions to the University.
Means walked on to Texas’ freshman track and field team in 1963 and, in 1964, he made history running for the school’s main team at the Fort Worth Recreation Meet. There, he became not just the first African American student-athlete at Texas, but the first in the entirety of the Southwest Conference.
Means was a pioneer for the widespread integration of college athletics in the southern United States, opening the door for countless student athletes of color. In addition to his trailblazing efforts, Means was a star on the track for the Longhorns.
After sitting out for a year in 1965, in 1966 Means also became the first African American student athlete to receive a scholarship at Texas. He was a letterwinner from 1966-68 and his talent as a sprinter helped the Longhorns in winning a pair of Southwest Conference Championships in 1966 and 1968.
A lifelong Austinite, Means worked for his family’s taxi business, now called Austin Cab. His mother, Bertha Sadler, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 100, was revered in the community as an activist and educator. Her petitioning to Texas Regent Frank C. Erwin Jr. regarding her son’s inability to run track played a pivotal role in the inclusion of student athletes of color.
Means and the 10 other Longhorns getting inducted will join the Hall of Honor this Friday and will receive a special salute at halftime of the Texas football game versus Wyoming at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
