Grinnell College Athletics

Norris Stubbs ’72 achieved something few Grinnellians have by earning a spot to compete in the Olympic Games. To make that feat even more impressive, he did so while still a college student at Grinnell. Running for the Bahamas in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Stubbs led off the 4x100-meter relay that advanced to the semifinal round. The squad’s clocking of 39.45 seconds was a national record that stood for decades. 
Stubbs also competed in the 100 and 200 meters at the same Olympic Games and established personal-best times of 10.67 in the 100 and 20.8 in the 200. Stubbs, who also participated in the 1967 Pan-American Games, carried over his Olympic experience to Grinnell and the Midwest Conference. In 1969, he sprinted to Midwest Conference (MWC) crowns in both the 100- and 220-yard dashes with times of 10.2 and 23.0, respectively. 

Besides being a star sprinter, Stubbs also excelled in the field events. His outdoor triple jump record of 14.13 meters (46 feet, 4.5 inches) was set in 1966 and remains the Grinnell school mark after nearly 60 years. Indoors, Stubbs had an all-time best triple jump mark of 13.27 meters (43 feet, 6.5 inches), an effort that still ranks fourth in program history. 

Stubbs graduated from Grinnell with a degree in physics and went on to Columbia University, where he earned a Ph.D. He served as an assistant professor in the Columbia School of Engineering and then as a professor of engineering mechanics in the Civil Engineering Department at Texas A&M University. His specialty was in structural reliability, structural dynamics, non-destructive evaluation, quality in design construction process and experimental mechanics. His services at Texas A&M extended beyond the classroom as he also served as a member of the University’s Athletic Council. He remained at Texas A&M until his death in 2014.