1868 Olympic champ to give Eureka commencement address

EUREKA, Ill. (AP) - Eureka College has announced that 1968 Olympic Games long jump champion Bob Beamon will give the school's commencement address next month.

Beamon gained international fame when he shattered the world record the leap of 29 feet, 2.5 inches at the Mexico City games. The jump stood as the world record for more than two decades and a half century later it remains the Olympic record.

Beamon has been inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame and was selected as one of ESPN's top 100 athletes of the 20th century.

Beamon is a member of the Jesse Owens Foundation Board of Directors and has also been appointed as the Global Ambassador to Special Olympics.