Herb Douglas Obituary, Oldest Olympic Medalist In The United States Died At 101
Herb Douglas Obituary, Death- Douglas, who had been a trustee at the University of Pittsburgh for many years and had earned the status of emeritus trustee there, passed away on Saturday. He was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. According to the wire service operated by the University of Pittsburgh, he was born and reared in the Hazelwood district of Pittsburgh.
While attending Taylor Allderdice High School, he excelled in a variety of sports, including basketball and track and field. In 1948, Douglas got his bachelor’s degree in physical education and competed in the long jump event at the Olympic trials, where he placed in second place. A few months later, he competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he was awarded a bronze medal.”In every role that he filled, Herb Douglas excelled,” said Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, according to Pittwire. “As an aspiring athlete from Hazelwood, as a student-athlete and University trustee, and as an esteemed businessman, Olympian, and community leader, Herb Douglas excelled.” “He was both a champion for himself and a champion of others, never hesitating to open doors of opportunity and help people pursue their own success.”
Douglas stated that the virtues of devotion, service, and honesty were instilled in him by his father, Herbert Paul Douglas Sr. These guiding principles were instrumental in his achieving victory in the city championships for tumbling, sprinting, basketball, and track and field. Douglas, the first Black basketball player at his high school, quit the team in 1940 because his teammates refused to pass the ball to him. Douglas was the first Black basketball player at his high school.
He was awarded a scholarship to participate in athletics at the Xavier University of Louisiana, which is the only historically Black Catholic college in the United States. Xavier University became the first historically Black institution to win a national title when the Douglas 440-relay team triumphed in 1942. According to Pittwire, shortly after transferring at Pitt, Douglas distinguished himself on both the football and track teams. He was victorious in five long-jump competitions at the collegiate level, as well as one 100-yard dash. He has three national Amateur Athletic Union titles to his name for his performance in the long jump.