John R. Carson   

Class of 1989 (Posthumous)

John was a fine student while at Chelmsford High School. John's athletic talent was off the charts and his accomplishments and record-setting performances were such that they remained the standards for CHS runners for years after his career ended.

John was an Eagle Scout and a true leader among his friends, classmates and teammates. However it was and is John's ability to inspire others (both before and after his passing in 1987) that truly makes him unique. Events like the John Carson Road Race on July 4th each year have raised money in his name. The John Carson Scholarship has allowed other CHS graduates to accomplish their dreams.

His life and the way he lived it inspired his high school teammates to a State Cross Country title in 1988. Accounts of that accomplishment, when related to runners 25 years later, inspired them also to win a State Championship in his memory. It was the effect John had on people who knew him both short term and long term, as well as the effect his legacy has had on many who never met him, that is a true measure of his greatness.