Red Simmons Timeline
4/13/2012 12:00:00 AM | General
Jan. 5, 1910 -- Born in Redford, Mich.
Late 1920s -- Received All-City honors in football as a halfback at Redford High School
1928 -- Won two state championships at Redford, the low and high hurdles
1929 -- Enrolled at Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan) where he ran track
1932 -- Part of winning mile relay team at the Penn Relays
1932 -- Participated at U.S. Olympic trials
1933 -- Graduated with a bachelor's of science in education from Michigan State Normal College
1934-59 -- Member of the Detroit Police Department; started as a detective and later promoted to detective sergeant
1959 -- Retired from the police department and began to teach physical education at the University of Michigan
1960 -- Created the "Michigammes," the first women's Ann Arbor track club; produced three Olympians (Francie Kraker-Goodridge, Sperry Jones and Micki King); also produced seven national championships and countless state track and cross country championships
1962 -- Earned master's degree in physical education from the University of Michigan; named associate supervisor and assistant professor
1975 -- Married Lois Simmons
1976 -- Hired as the first women's track coach at the University of Michigan
1978 -- Coached the first varsity women's track team
1978 -- Inducted into Eastern Michigan Hall of Fame
1981 -- Coached Michigan's first All-American (AIAW) selection, Penny Neer
1981 -- Retired as head coach at Michigan after the 1981 season; in his honor, the Red Simmons Invitational was named after him and has been held every year since
1990 -- Honored as Michigan's first honorary 'M' man
1994 -- First member inducted into the Michigan Women's Track and Field Hall of Fame
1995 -- Won four gold medals at the annual Senior Olympics
2000 -- Received senate tribute from U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham in honor of being given the Philip A. Hart award
2001 -- Keynote speaker at the Michigan Senior Games celebration of athletes
2009 -- Received lifetime achievement award from the University of Michigan
