M Club Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1985
Joe Gorman was perhaps the finest trackster of his time for Memphis State College. Arriving on campus in the fall of 1953, Gorman began his dominance in the sport of track. He lettered as a freshman and placed 5th in the Tennessee Intercollegiate Athletic Conference long jump and 6th in the pole vault. During his sophomore campaign, 1954-55, Gorman led his team to an undefeated season by scoring 143 total points on the season. As a junior, he was named the Outstanding Performer in the Tennessee Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meet after the Tigers claimed the team championship and received the same honor in the Delta Invitational. Gorman was named the Memphis Athlete of the Year following his junior season. In his final year of competition, Gorman set the Memphis indoor record in the 60-yard low hurdles at :7.0 and in the 60-yard high hurdles at :7.6. He broke his own record in the outdoor 120-yard high hurdles with a time of :14.3 and in the 120-low hurdles at :13.8. He was also a member of the record setting 440 and 880 relay teams. Following graduation, Gorman attended dental school and graduated in 1964. He moved to Dallas, Texas, to set up his general dentistry practice.
