Black First of the Day
Who was the first Black American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal?
- He earned a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania.
- Before the win, he had held the world record in the 440-yard dash.
- He died five months after winning the gold medal.
- He won for the 4 x 400-meter relay race.
1908
John Baxter "Doc" Taylor Jr. (1882-1908)
John Baxter "Doc" Taylor Jr. (1882-1908), became the first black winner of a gold medal in the Olympics He won for the 4 x 400-meter relay in London. One of the first great black quarter-milers, Taylor was also the first black to win a gold medal as a United States team member. Taylor had been a college champion in his sport, held the world record in the 440-yard dash, and already had a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania at the time of the Olympics. The path to his gold medal was filled with thorns. The 1908 Games featured much friction between the British and U.S. athletes, and the controversies reached a peak with the 400-meter race, in which Taylor was one of four finalists (three American and one British). The race was run twice, nullified the first time on the charge of an American foul by one of the U.S. runners (not Taylor). When it was rerun, the remaining two American finalists (including Taylor) boycotted the run. When Taylor had another chance to go for the gold, in the 1,600-meter medley, he ran the third leg, passed the baton on to the anchor runner with a fifteen-meter lead, and truly earned his gold medal. Taylor had a triumphant return to Philadelphia, but his days of glory were short. He died five months after winning the gold medal.
Sources: Ashe, A Hard Road to Glory, vol. 1, pp. 63-64, 65-66; Page, Black Olympian Medalists, pp. 111-12, 149; Young, Negro Firsts in Sports, pp. 83-84; American Vision 11 (June/July 1996): 20-23.
From Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Events by Jessie Carney Smith, © 2013 Visible Ink Press®. A celebration of achievement, accomplishments and pride.
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