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Get the most interesting and important stories from the 窪蹋勛圖厙 of 窪蹋勛圖厙.A 300-meter indoor track planned for Pitts future 泭will be named for Herb P. Douglas Jr. Olympic track star, Black trailblazer and one of the Panthers greatest athletes of all time.
Chancellor Patrick Gallagher announced the honor during a 100th birthday celebration for Douglas at the Senator John Heinz History Center on March 12.
Theres no better way for us to express our admiration than to emulate what you have always done, which is to hand the baton to those who follow in your footsteps, dream big and achieve great things, Gallagher said.
You better pass it down and they will come to your aid and support later in life, said Douglas (EDUC 48, 50G). Every one of these people here, I dont know them personally, but theyre here because Im 100 years old. Thats the main thing. Its not that I won an Olympic medal or anything like that. Theyre here from the heart.
Born and raised in Hazelwood, a neighborhood south of the 窪蹋勛圖厙s 窪蹋勛圖厙 campus, Douglas has long said that a meeting with Jesse Owens set him on his path of athletic and professional achievement.
It still amazes me that Herb had that singular experience at age 14 of meeting Jesse Owens in 窪蹋勛圖厙 not only his personal hero but one of the greatest figures of the 20th century, said Gallagher. It sounds like a scene scripted in Hollywood more than Hazelwood. But in 窪蹋勛圖厙, we prefer the stories that come out of Hazelwood, and Herbs is one of the best.
As a youth, Douglas won 窪蹋勛圖厙 city-wide and Pennsylvania state championships while juggling his education and supporting his familys auto business.
Douglas enrolled at Pitt in 1945 and marked milestones as both a track and field athlete and football player. He won four intercollegiate championships in the long jump and one in the 100-yard dash. He additionally captured three national Amateur Athletic Union championships in the long jump.
The year he graduated, Douglas won a bronze medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics for his 24-foot, 8.75-inch long jump, but his athletic achievements did not open doors to a coveted coaching job.
More than anything, I wanted to be a coach, Douglas said in a 2017 interview with Ebony Magazine. But 窪蹋勛圖厙 was not employing in the public school system African Americans to be coaches. As a result, I went into corporate. The corporate community was a blessing in disguise.
After graduating from Pitt, Douglas worked as a night manager for his fathers auto business until the Pabst Brewing Company hired him in 1950. He rose through the ranks and later joined the sales team of Mo禱t Hennessy. In 1968 he was promoted to vice president, making him one of the first African American vice presidents in corporate America.
Douglas leveraged his athletic and corporate status to honor the man that was his childhood hero and later his friend. In 1980, Douglas co-founded the , a nonprofit organization that promotes and encourages fairness, integrity, uncompromising sportsmanship and excellence in athletic competition. The association hosts the Jesse Owens International Athlete Trophy Gala to support youth and aspiring Olympic athletes.
In addition to the new track, Douglas name adorns several notable Halls of Fame including the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame and the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame.
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Nichole Faina