A two-time Olympic medalist and collegiate national champion, Thomas became the first man to jump seven feet indoors at the 1959 Millrose Games.

However, in the excitement of the moment, the bar was not officially measured. Thomas was credited with the Games' record but not a world mark.

Undaunted, Thomas again cleared seven-feet at the New York Athletic Club Games, before eclipsing the world record with a stunning leap of 7' 1" 1/4 at the 1959 National AAU Championships .

Like the four-minute mile earlier in the decade, the seven-foot barrier had once seemed an elusive quest. Yet, Thomas turned the illusion into reality, and thrust the event into the focus of the track and field world. Just a 17-year-old Boston University freshman, Thomas had instantly become the most visible track and field athlete of his day. 

Over his ensuing 17-year career, Thomas would go on to eclipse the seven-foot barrier 191 times &emdash; more than any other competitor, while losing only eight competitions. Along the way, he held the indoor and outdoor world record on several occasions, overcame an ankle injury to win the bronze medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, and the silver medal at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Coinciding with his international success, Thomas dominated the collegiate scene, winning five New England Outdoor, and six IC4A titles in Indoor and outdoor track. He graduated from Boston University in 1963, but later returned to serve as a coach of the men's and later women's track programs.

A member of the Boston University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, Thomas was cited as one of Boston's 27 greatest sports legends during the city's 350th celebration.