Olympic gold medalist, world record holder, USATF Hall of Famer and human rights activist Lee Evans died Wednesday at age 74. Evans, who was born Feb. 25, 1947, in Madera, California, gained the national spotlight as part of San Jose State's legendary sprint program, after a storied career at Overfelt High School. He won the first of his five U.S. titles at 400 meters in 1966. After capturing the NCAA 400m crown in 1968, Evans went on to win the final Olympic Trials at Echo Summit in a then-world record 44.06, and then raced into the history books at Mexico City with a stunning 43.86 to shatter his own world record. That record would stand for 20 years. Evans also played a key role on the U.S. gold medal-winning 4x400m relay that set a world record of 2:56.16 that stood for more than 24 years. Evans was a leading member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization that called attention to racial inequality and oppression in the United States and abroad. Along with 1968 Mexico City teammates and 200m medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Evans worked to inform and educate through his efforts in athletics, and on the award stand following his 400m victory he wore a black beret to symbolize solidarity with other civil rights organizations. Elected to the USATF National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1983, Evans was also a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. He was the 1967 Pan American Games 400m champion and finished fourth in the 400 meters at the 1972 Olympic Trials to earn a berth on the 4x400m relay team. Evans became a professional in 1973 and ran as part of the ITA (International Track Association) but was reinstated as an amateur by the IAAF (now World Athletics) in 1980. Following his college graduation, he served as head cross country and assistant track coach at San Jose State before beginning an international coaching career. Between 1975 and 1997 Evans directed the national track and field programs of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia and trained athletes in 18 other countries. In 1977, he was the sprint coach for the All-African team at the first World Cup and earned coach of the year honors in Nigeria that year. In 2002, Evans joined the coaching staff of the University of Washington, and he later served in numerous coaching and advisory positions around the world. Services are pending.