Herb Douglas
Herbert Paul Douglas Jr. (born March 9, 1922) is an American former athlete who competed mainly in the long jump. He represented the U.S. in that event at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he won the bronze medal. Willie Steele of the United States won the gold medal at 25' 8"; Australia's Theo Bruce came in second, taking the silver medal at 24' 9.5". Douglas captured the bronze with a jump of 24' 9", and Lorenzo Wright of the United States ended up fourth at 24' 5.25".
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  United States | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png.webp){kind=icon} | 1948 London | Long jump |
Prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics Douglas was recognized as the oldest living African-American Olympic medalist.[1] Douglas graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1940 and was inducted into their alumni hall of fame in 2009.[2] Douglas first attended Xavier University of Louisiana in 1942, and competed at the 48th Annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, helping Xavier University win the American Quarter-Mile Relay Championship. He competed in college at the University of Pittsburgh and was inducted into the inaugural class of their sports hall of fame in 2018.
References
- Herb Douglas, Oldest Living African-American Olympic Medalist, Reflects On 1948 London Games
- Hecht, Steve (August 27, 2009). "Comedian Marty Allen part of Allderdice's first hall class". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
External links
- Herb Douglas at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- Herbert Paul Douglas Jr. at the International Olympic Committee
