Title
Recognizing and honoring Herb Douglas, the oldest living African American Olympic medalist, for his many life achievements, on and off the track.
Body
WHEREAS, Herb Douglas is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has resided in the Wynnefield neighborhood of Philadelphia for many years; and
WHEREAS, Herb Douglas broke records at the University of Pittsburgh, where he won four NCAA championships in the long jump and one in the 100-yard dash, and three AAU long-jump titles. He held the university's long-jump record for 33 years. He also played football at Pitt, becoming the second African American player to score a touchdown against Notre Dame; and
WHEREAS, Douglas participated in the 1942 Penn Relays in Philadelphia. He was a member of the 440-yard relay team from Xavier University of Louisiana, a Historically Black University. Douglas' team won with a time of 41.7 seconds, making Xavier the first HBCU champion at the Penn Relays; and
WHEREAS, At just 26-years-old, Douglas participated in the 1948 Olympic Games in London, earning a bronze medal in the long-jump competition. During the tournament, Douglas jumped 24 feet and nine inches; and
WHEREAS, Douglas was also a trailblazer in the business world. After joining the fine wine and spirits distributor Schieffelin & Co. (now Moet/Hennessey USA) in 1963, he became the third African American in history to reach the level of Vice President of a national company. He worked at the company for 30 years; and
WHEREAS, Douglas has mentored subsequent Olympic gold medalists, such as Edwin Moses and Roger Kingdom; and
WHEREAS, In 1980, Douglas co-founded the Jesse Owens Foundation, named after his long-time friend, Jesse Owens, the famous African American track and field athlete, who earned four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin; and
WHEREAS, Douglas celebrated his 99th birthday on March 9, 2021. He is the oldest living African American Olympic medalist; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE C...
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