Jimmy Carnes

One of the leading figures in the formation of The Athletics Congress/USA, as USATF was known when it began operations, Jimmy Carnes was TAC's first president (1980-1984) and worked closely with executive director Ollan Cassell as the sport moved from amateur to open rules. He presided over TAC's constitutional convention in Dallas during the spring of 1980, where the organization's bylaws were finalized, and he assisted in the formation of TACTRUST, which was the first step towards open track competition. The IAAF (now World Athletics) later approved TAC's concept of TACTRUST on a global basis. Also during Carnes' presidency, the NCAA, which hadn't participated in track's governance for years due to a feud with the AAU, became a TAC member. The founder of the Florida Track Club, whose members included Hall of Fame inductees Frank Shorter and Marty Liquori, Carnes later served as the Executive Director of the United States Track Coaches Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the United States Sports Academy. He is a member of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (formerly USTCA) Hall of Fame. Carnes died March 5, 2011.