James Means Jr. grew up in an Austin family deeply rooted in education and civic leadership. His parents, James Means Sr. and Bertha Sadler Means, were pioneering educators. But it was his own trailblazing on the track that would come to define his legacy.
At the University of Texas, Means competed as a sprinter and relay runner. In 1964, he ran at the Fort Worth Recreation Meet — the first Black athlete to do so for the Longhorns and the first in the Southwest Conference. Two years later, he became the first African American to earn an athletic scholarship at UT.
Means’ journey wasn’t straightforward. His family faced the realities of segregation in the 1960s. A key moment came when his mother wrote to Regent Frank Erwin, demanding answers as to why her son could not participate in athletics.
According to family accounts, the letter caught the attention of then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson. Just over a year later, in November 1963, the University of Texas announced that Black athletes would be allowed to participate — paving the way for Means to compete.
Modesty Marked His Legacy
Despite his historic achievements, Means remained humble. His daughter, Alyssa Means, said growing up she didn’t fully grasp the significance of her father’s accomplishments. “I didn’t even think about it in high school,” Means told a Statesman reporter in 2023, when asked if he ever imagined joining the Longhorns. “I didn’t think I was that good.”
He never sought special recognition. When he was inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 2023, he said he hadn’t lobbied for the honor. “It's a great honor,” he said, adding it wasn’t something he pursued.
A Life of Leadership and Legacy
The Means family valued leadership in all forms. Bertha Sadler Means helped found an integrated St. James Episcopal Church in East Austin and was honored with a school named in her likeness: the Bertha Sadler Means Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
James Means Jr. and his wife, Carol L. Adams-Means, built a life together in Austin. They owned Austin Cab Company from 1984 to 2019, once known as Harlem Cab, which started in 1943. Carol Adams-Means has worked as a communications professor and media consultant.
James Means Jr. served in the U.S. Army for two years before settling back into business life in Austin. Through it all, he remained a quiet but powerful presence — a man who changed the landscape of Texas athletics without ever seeking the spotlight.
He is survived by his wife Carol, daughter Alyssa, son James “Tito” Horatio III, and generations of family and community members who remember him not just as a trailblazer, but as a man with a quiet, unshakable sense of self.