The History of USATF
On January 30 , 1878, rower and runner William B. Curtis founded what became the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) in New York City. The name was formally adopted in 1887. The AAU governed the sport until 1979, when the first Amateur Sports Act decreed that the AAU could no longer hold international franchises for more than one sport.
The Athletics Congress/USA (TAC/USA) became fully operational in late 1979 with its first annual meeting, conducted in Las Vegas in conjunction with that year's AAU Convention, and a constitutional convention held in Dallas/Fort Worth in 1980. The first stand-alone annual meeting occurred in Atlanta, Georgia, in the late fall of 1980.
In 1992, the name was changed to USA Track & Field (USATF) to increase recognition for the organization and the sport in the United States.
Presidents of TAC/USATF
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2008 - present: Stephanie Hightower
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2000-2008: Bill Roe
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1996-2000: Patricia Rico
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1992-1996: Larry Ellis
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1988-1992: Frank Greenberg
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1984-1988: LeRoy T. Walker
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1980-1984: Jimmy Carnes
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1979-1980: Evie G. Dennis (acting chair)
Chief Executive Officers of TAC/USATF
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Max Siegel (May 1, 2012 to present)
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Michael McNees (September 15, 2010 to April 30, 2012)
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Douglas G. Logan (July 21, 2008 to September 15, 2010)
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Bill Roe (acting) (February 1, 2008 to July 20, 2008)
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Craig A. Masback (July 15, 1997 to January 31, 2008)
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Ollan C. Cassell (June 18, 1979 to July 15, 1997)
Annual Meetings
