V 10 N. 4 Gail Hodgson South African and Oklahoma Sooner 1960 R.I.P.

January 15, 2020
Yesterday I received the following email from Neville Soll, South African friend who graduated from the University of Okahoma and was a friend of Gail Hodgson a 4:03 miler back when sub 4 minute miles in university were extremely rare.  George Brose

George,

I had lunch with a friend the other day. She came from Pietermaritzburg the home town of Gail Hodgson. She knew Gail back in the day when he was a school boy. She told me that Gail had passed away. I have tried to confirm this. All that I could find is a notice in a newspaper advertising the winding up of the estate of Michael Gail Hodgson.

It gave the bithdate as 11 January 1938 which would tie up with his age. According to this notice he died on 28 April 2018. As this information came so soon after the passing of Mike Lindsay and Buddy Stewart, it is sad that another Okie of our era has passed on.

The January 1959 Track and Field News made reference to Gail in the following paragraphL

Fearless Harold Clark of South Africa made two attempts at a four minute mile, coming up short on both occasions, but certainly earning respect in the doing. On December 20 in a solo attempt in Kimberley, a city at 5000 feet elevation, he tied Gail Hodgson’s South African record of 4:04.5. Undeterred, six days later he took another shot, this time in the town of Pearl. Nature was not his friend. The temperature was 103 with the track being estimated at 130. Harold proved himself the kind of guy you would want in your foxhole by running 4:04.9.

Gail by evidence of this paragraph, at one time held the South African mile record.  He would lower it a tad in a near solo effort at the Big Eight outdoor championships held in Norman, Oklahoma.  More on that  later.



Here is a letter I received from Gail in 2011 by virtue of connecting on this blog.  I've yet to mention that Gail apart from becoming an architect was also a very good piano player and had a band  The Twisters in Norman.  He mentions a bit about that in this letter.

Hi George

Just to tell you that I have been getting all your fabulous emails over the previous months.....maybe even years !!!!!!!!. Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I just marvel at all the info that has stayed alive, and it's thanks to your efforts that have made it so interesting and meaningful.

I am a semi-retired architect after practicing in Rustenburg South Africa for the last 40 years or so, and am now in Johannesburg trying to come to terms with doing mostly nothing most of the time. My Children.......all grown up now are still in the States.......Denver, and San Marcos. My daughter Kim from Denver is doing real well with my genes and is running great long distant events all over the country.

When I was in Norman I had a rock & roll band called The Twisters.......me on piano and vocals. We backed up guys like Chuck Berry, and Johnny Cash, and I personally backed up the Inkspots, and met Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald by inviting them to perform at OU in about 1960.

I haven't run since getting back to South Africa, but have helped with a bit of coaching over the years.

Thanks again for all the GREAT news......my email is gailarch1@ mweb.co.za.

All the very VERY BEST Gail Hodgson.......OU 1957 to 1960

In 1958 at the Kansas Relays the OU team set a World Record in the Sprint Medley 440, 220,220, 880.  They were using the race as a warmup for another relay.   Gail anchored in 1:48 which on that cinder track was a very good effort.   Here is an account of that race from one of the team members,  Johnny Pellow who was also a half back on the football team.  

1958 Kansas Relay Meet: Event: Sprint Medley.
Gary Parr, Ponca City, OK started with a quarter mile. Dee Givens, Lawton OK followed witha 220 yearder. I, Johnny Pellow, Enid, OK, was next with another 220 yarder and, finally, Gail Hodgson, South Africa , finished with a half mile. Thanks to Gail Hodgson's 1:48 half mile we broke the WORLD RECORD!

I still have a 1958 Kansas Relay Watch given to us for winning the race. ON the back of the watch it reads: SPRINT MEDLEY - WORLD'S RECORD of time: 3:19.5. By the way, the watch still runs.

But, the rest of the story: Gail, Dee, and Gary were all at the very top of their special events. This race was a 9:30AM event and was to be just a warm-up for the three top stars. This was the first race that I had been in since injuring my right Hamstring Muscle two months before this race. I was just a fill-in chosen at the last minute. I remember Coach Carroll telling us just to relax and use this Sprint Medley Race as a warmup before the real afternoon races began. WE BROKE THE WORLD RECORD.

Gail Hodgson leading a Big 8 indoor event in Kansas City, MO.
The two runners on the extreme left are from U. of Kansas
Bill Dotson (first Kansan under 4:00) and Billy Mills

Later that year at the Big 8 Outdoor Meet held in Norman, OK, Gail made an attempt on a sub four minute mile.  There was little if any competition in the conference that year.  So Gail pretty much did all the work on his own.  I don't know his splits on the first two laps, but he came through the 1320 in   2:58 which was truly amazing on that soft track.  However still on his own he went into the Twilight Zone and came out the other side with a personal best in the 4:03+.  I don't remember the fraction.  I imagine only Wes Santee had done better in the conference.  I did not witness this race, but heard many accounts of it.  Gail stuck around the OU campus for a while, because the architecture degree was a five year program.  We used to listen to The Twisters practice in the dorms.  The other musicians were not athletes.  Gail travelled in a very special world having so many talents besides running.  As he said above, he didn't run after returning home.  He married the sister of SMU pole vaulter Dexter Elkins.

Remembering Gail Hodgson
from Bob Ringo

Both Gail and I began our OU track careers as freshmen in the fall of 1956.  Gail was the
latest athlete to arrive at OU from South Africa.  Peter Duncan, a swimmer,
and Neville Price, a broad jumper, preceded Gail to Norman.

Gail was not only a gifted runner but also a very talented piano player and lover of classical
music.  He inherited his musical skills from his mother who had been an opera singer in the
United States. Gail’s father managed General Motors in South Africa.  After our workouts
we would lie on the cots in Gail’s Lincoln House cubical and listen to classical music.
Today my primary music listening love is classical. 

Gail and I arrived in Norman a little earlier in September than the bulk of students. 
Athletes were allowed early enrollment to ensure they got early morning classes that
would not interfere with their workout schedules.  After Gail and I had finished our
enrollment, we stopped by the Student Union bookstore to pick up a few supplies.
We gathered what we needed and walked to the cash register.  The cute young coed
at the register asked Gail, “Will there be anything else?” Gail replied, “Yes, give me
a couple of rubbers.” After What seemed like an eternity, the blushing young lady
blurted out, “We don’t sell them here.”  As we were walking away, I told Gail in the
United States rubbers are purchased in drug stores. Gail’s reply was, “If I had wanted
those things, I would have asked for “safes”.”

Ed. Note: In South Africa erasers for pencil writing or drawing are known as 'rubbers'.
Other South Africans made that mistake as well. Another once asked a girl in class if he
could borrow a rubber from her. Think, 1950s , deep South, Bible Belt, and you'll
have the context.

The temperature was in the high nineties when Gail and I arrived in the track dressing
room to get ready for our first workout.  Ron Wade, a senior, was Captain of the
cross-country team. He confidently said, “Let’s warmup with a ten-mile run” knowing
a long run in the heat would “kill off” the newcomer freshmen.  Gail easily completed
the ten mile warmup about a mile ahead of the varsity runners not even breathing hard.
I believe I was five miles to the rear of the last varsity runners.

Our first year in Norman Bill Carroll had just taken over as the head coach from
John “Jake” Jacobs.  Jake still was around to offer bits of wisdom. However, from day
one, Gail was my coach. He prepared each daily workout for us that Bill Carroll
always went along with.  Since we were both distance runners, Gail and I trained
together stride-by-stride every day. Gail taught me how to breath while running.
“Breathe through your belly button.”  He taught me how to hold my finger for
relaxation while running. “Hold your thumb and index finger lightly together
without making a fist.” He taught me how to tie my shoes so if the laces became
untied during a race, the shoe would still fit snugly and not fall off.  Gail and I
roomed together on trips. This way we were able to go over our coming races
a thousand times before actually running them.

In the spring of our junior year, we had finished the Dallas Invitational on a Thursday
night and, then, were flown to Lawrence for the Kansas Relays.  It was my belief that I
would be running my usual second leg (880) of the distance medley relay that was
scheduled for Saturday. For this reason, I stayed behind at the hotel on Friday thinking
there was no hurry in getting to the track.  Bill Carroll hadn’t told me I was to run
the 880 anchor leg of the sprint medley held on Friday. Not finding me around the track,
Bill grabbed Gail and inserted him in my place. Gail ran a splendid race that day coming
from behind and passing everyone on the home stretch finishing first by a hair and helping
OU’s relay team set a new world’s record.

The summer after the National AAU meet in Boulder, Colorado, Gail and I had a few
days before we were to report for our summer jobs that had been arranged for us by the
Athletic Department.  Neither of us had much money, so in the evenings we would find
a bar with a piano and Gail would sit down and begin playing “requests” for cash tips
and/or beer. We used the tip money for food.  The beers were never wasted.

Gail was “drop dead” handsome.  Everywhere he went, there were always plenty of
gorgeous girls eyeing Gail.  No sooner would Gail begin playing the piano in a bar or
hotel, man-hungry girls would rush to sit on the bench next to him as he played.  Finding
girls was not ever a problem for Gail.

The above paragraphs are but a few of the special memories that I have of Gail. 

In summary, Gail was a gifted runner, a talented musician, an excellent architect, and
most of all a great friend.

Bob  Ringo Ed. Note. Bob Ringo was a pretty fair 880 man himself finishing 5th in the National AAU meet one year.

Hi George, 

Paul Ebert here,

I was at OU Jan 1958 to 1962 and Gail was in his prime.

I recall the day he broke the Big Eight record in mile at conference meet (Norman ) 1958 (4:05) 
Gail related to me that he was going to break the 4 min mile and that he would go under 60

first lap, under 2:00  2nd lap, under 3 third lap and take it home.

This he did up to last 220 where it was a struggle and he ended

with 4:05.  I as a  freshman (freshmen couldn't compete) watched the entire race.  

Also in cross country 1958 Big Eight Conference meet Gail was

first 14:00.9 new record.  

     2.  Miles Eisenman (OSU)

     3. Tom Skutka (KU),

     4. Billy Mills (KU)

     5. Ernie  Kleynhans (OU). 

1959 Big Eight Cross Country

     1.  Eisenman 13:55 NR

     2.  Mills (KU) 

     3.  Hodgson (OU).  

1960  Big Eight Cross Country

      9. Ebert  (OU)

     10. Lee Smith (OU)

     11. Hodgson  (OU)  was 11th, Ebert 9th(OU)

 In 1959 Gail was 4th in 1500 National AAU.

It's rare to find one of so many talents and Gail is still remembered by a lot of his old teammates.  I'm sure every team has one or two people who define a team by their talents, 
their actions, their behavior.  Gail gave us a lot of very positive examples in many fields.
R.I.P.  Gail Hodgson.  

Note:  We were sorely pushed to find any photos of Gail.  If any of you have any that could be used here, please send them to irathermediate@gmail.com

August 4, 2024

The following photo just came to us via Jay Levine who was a student journalist at Oklahoma University when Gail was running there.   Many thanks