BHS Day 14: Alice Coachman

Hi and Happy Valentine's Day! For our second Sports Spotlight, I had to change it up at the last minute and I realized that we hadn't had any female entrants since last Sunday. I don't remember if I featured any track and field athletes in last year's series, but this year I had to. Today's entrant, in my opinion, was an excellent choice as she is not often brought up when people talk about the late greats of the sport. Let's get started!

Name: Alice Coachman Davis, 1923-2014

Profession: Track and field star

Why is the Spotlight on her today? For her accomplishments in track and field

Notables and accomplishments:
--Was the first African-American woman to win a gold medal at the 1948 Olympics
--Was the only American woman to win gold in track and field during the Games --Won national championships in track during her high school and college careers and won 10 national championships in a row
--Was named to five all-American teams
--Was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame and the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame
--Was inducted as an honorary Alpha Kappa Alpha --Is regarded as one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all-time 
--Was the first African-American woman to receive endorsements

Research resources and further reading links: The African-American Almanac | Biography | NY Times | New Georgia Encyclopedia  | Wikipedia 


Quote of the Day:
"I made a difference among the Blacks, being one of the leaders. If I had gone to the Games and failed, there wouldn't be anyone to follow in my footsteps. It encouraged the rest of the women to work harder and fight harder."
--Alice Coachman