Johnny Smith

Johnny Smith is the Julius C. "Bud" Shaw Professor of Sports History and Associate Professor of History. 

Smith's research and teaching explores United States history during the twentieth century. He is especially interested in the history of sports, popular culture, political culture, African American history, and the relationship between war and society.

He has authored six books: The Fight of His Life: Joe Louis's Battle for Freedom During World War II (written with Randy Roberts; forthcoming 2025); Jumpman: The Making and Meaning of Michael Jordan; War Fever: Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War (written with Randy Roberts); A Season in the Sun: The Rise of Mickey Mantle (written with Randy Roberts); Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X (written with Randy Roberts); and The Sons of Westwood: John Wooden, UCLA, and the Dynasty That Changed College Basketball.

He has won multiple book honors: Blood Brothers received the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH) Book Award; Choice named The Sons of Westwood an "Outstanding Academic Title"; and the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) recognized War Fever with the Larry Ritter Book Award.

In 2021, Netflix released Blood Brothers: Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, a feature documentary based on Smith's book.

His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Slate, ESPN's The Undefeated, Smithsonian Magazine, Reviews in American History, and The American Historian, among others. 

In 2017, Professor Smith was named a Distinguished Lecturer by the Organization of American Historians.  He is also a two-time recipient of the Journal of Sport History's Best Article Award (2009; 2018).