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Rafer Johnson receives high honor from UCLA

The Fresno Bee
Maria Shriver, second from left, daughter of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is joined by Olympians Rafer Johnson, in suit, and Ann Meyers Drysdale, top right, in a group photo with red-jacketed Special Olympics athletes at a news conference in 2011.
Maria Shriver, second from left, daughter of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is joined by Olympians Rafer Johnson, in suit, and Ann Meyers Drysdale, top right, in a group photo with red-jacketed Special Olympics athletes at a news conference in 2011. Reed Saxon AP

Rafer Johnson, the Kingsburg High School graduate who went on to become a two-time Olympian and later helped start Special Olympics, has a new honor: the UCLA Medal.

That title was bestowed on him Tuesday in recognition of his work with Special Olympics.

Johnson went to UCLA and earned a degree in physical education. He got a silver medal in the 1956 Olympics as a decathlete, and then won the gold in the competition four years later. As captain of the U.S. Olympic team, he was the first African American to carry the American flag during opening ceremonies.

The UCLA Medal was established in 1979 as a way to honor graduates whose work exemplifies the ideas of the university.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Rafer Johnson receives high honor from UCLA."

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