WHEREAS, Herman Frazier began his athletic career under the training and coaching of the legendary Alex Woodley in the Philadelphia Pioneer Club, a track and field club in Philadelphia. He was a multi-sport athlete at Germantown High School; and
WHEREAS, Frazier continued his athletic career as a runner at Denison University and Arizona State University. At Arizona State, Frazier was an 8-time All-American sprinter. He captained the 1977 Arizona State national championship track team and graduated in 1977 with a degree in political science. Arizona State’s Political Science Department has awarded the Herman R. Frazier Scholarship to an undergraduate student each year since 2002; and
WHEREAS, Frazier followed up his successful collegiate career with an illustrious career in international competition. He competed for the United States National Track and Field Team and he won a gold medal as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team and a bronze medal in the 400-meter dash in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also earned gold medals in the 1975 and 1979 Pan-American Games. Frazier was also a member of the United States Olympic Team that boycotted the Moscow Games in 1980; and
WHEREAS, Frazier returned to Arizona State University after his track and field years as a full-time athletic administrator. He then served as the Athletics Director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at the University of Hawaii. In 2009, he returned to Philadelphia as the Senior Associate Athletics Director at Temple University. He is now the Deputy Athletics Director and Chief of Staff at Syracuse University, where he oversees the daily operations of all facets of Syracuse Athletics. He also chairs the Bowerman Advisory Board which awards The Bowerman Award—collegiate track and field’s highest individual honor; and
WHEREAS, Frazier received the 2002 NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which is presented to former student-athletes who have made significant professional and civic contributions in the 25 years since they were last eligible for intercollegiate competition. In 2003,
Sports Illustrated
Magazine named him one of the 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports and in 2005
Black Enterprise
Magazine named him one of the 50 Most Powerful African Americans in Sports; and
WHEREAS, Frazier twice served as the United States Olympic Committee Vice President between 1996 and 2004 and served on various USOC committees between 1980 and 2004. Frazier served as Chef de Mission for the entire United States delegation in the 2004 Athens Olympics, which was the most successful United States Olympic Team in history; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia is a storied incubator of athletic excellence and Herman Frazier has made a difference in the national and international sports landscape since his days as a collegiate athlete. Having himself competed at the highest levels of sports competition, Frazier should be honored for dedicating his career to extending those same opportunities towards others; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we recognize and honor Herman Frazier for his gold medal career in track and field and athletic administration.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Herman Frazier, evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
End