Alice Coachman - wikipedia Alice Coachman Alice Coachman Davis November 9, 1923 Albany, Georgia, United States July 14, 2014 ( aged 91 ) Albany, Georgia, United States Sport Sport Athletics Medal record Representing the United States Olympic Games Women 's athletics 1948 London High jump Alice Coachman Davis ( November 9, 1923 -- July 14, 2014 ) was an American athlete. She specialized in high jump and was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life and education 1.2 Athletic career 1.3 Later life 1.4 Legacy 2 References 3 Further reading 4 External links Biography Early life and education Coachman was born on November 9, 1923 in Albany, Georgia. She was the fifth of Fred and Evelyn Coachman 's ten children. Raised in the segregated South, Coachman was unable to access athletic training facilities or participate in organised sports because of the colour of her skin. Added to the list of training barriers was her status as a female athlete during a time of widespread opposition to women in sport. She trained using what was available to her running shoeless along the dirtroads near her home and using homemade equipment to practice her jumping. Coachman attended Monroe Street Elementary School where she was encouraged by her fifth - grade teacher Cora Bailey and from her aunt, Carrie Spry, despite the reservations of her parents. Upon enrolling at Madison High School in 1938 she joined the track team, working with Harry E. Lash to develop her skill as an athlete. Within a year she drew the attenion of the Tuskegee Institute, in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1939 she joined the Tuskegee Preparatory School at the age of 16 after being offered a scholarship. The scholarship required her to work while studying and training, which included cleaning and maintaining sports facilities as well as mending uniforms. Coachman went on to graduate with a degree in dressmaking from the Tuskegee Institute in 1946. The following year she continued her studies at Albany State College, receiving a B.A. in home economics with a minor in science in 1949 and becoming a teacher. Athletic career Prior to arriving at the Tuskegee Preparatory School, Coachman competed in the Amateur Athletic Union 's ( AAU ) Women 's National Championships breaking the college and National high jump records while competing barefoot. Her unusual jumping style was a combination of straight jumping and western roll techniques. Coachman dominated the AAU outdoor high jump championship from 1939 through 1948, winning ten national championships in a row. In addition to her high jump accomplishments, she won national championships in the 50 - meter dash, the 100 - meter dash and with the 400 - meter relay team as a student at the Tuskegee Institute. During the same period Coachman won three conference championships playing as a guard on the Tuskegee women 's basketball team. Despite being in her prime, Coachman was unable to compete in the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games as they were cancelled because of World War II. In the opinion of sportswriter Eric Williams, `` Had she competed in those canceled Olympics, we would probably be talking about her as the No. 1 female athlete of all time. '' Coachman 's first opportunity to compete on a global stage was during the 1948 Olympic Games in London. She qualified for the US Olympic team with a high jump of 5 feet 4 inches breaking the previous 16 - year - old record by 3⁄4 of an inch. In the high jump finals of the 1948 Summer Olympics, Coachman leaped 1.68 m ( 5 ft 61⁄8 in ) on her first try. Her nearest rival, Great Britain 's Dorothy Tyler, matched Coachman 's jump, but only on her second try. Coachman was the only American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics in 1948. Her medal was presented by King George VI. Upon her return to the United States after the Olympics, Coachman had become a celebrity. Soon after meeting President Harry Truman and former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, she was honored with parades from Atlanta to Albany and was thrown a party by Count Basie. In 1952 she became the first African - American woman to endorse an international product when she was signed as a spokesperson by the Coca - Cola Company who featured her prominently on billboards alongside 1936 Olympic winner Jesse Owens. And in her hometown, Alice Avenue and Coachman Elementary School were named in her honor. Later life Coachman 's athletic career ended when she was 24. She dedicated the rest of her life to education and to the Job Corps. Coachman died in Albany, Georgia on July 14, 2014 of cardiac arrest after suffering through respiratory problems. She had a stroke a few months prior for which she received treatment from a nursing home. She had two children during her first marriage to N.F. Davis, which ended in divorce. Her second husband, Frank Davis, preceded her in death. Legacy In 1979 Coachman was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. During the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Coachman was honored as one of the 100 greatest Olympians. She was an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, inducted in 1998 In 2002, she was designated a Women 's History Month Honoree by the National Women 's History Project. Coachman was also inducted to the USA Track and Field Hall of fame in 1975 and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. Coachman has received recognition for opening the door for future African - American track stars such as Evelyn Ashford, Florence Griffith Joyner and Jackie Joyner - Kersee. In fact, in the years since her display of Olympic prowess, black women have made up a majority of the US women 's Olympic track and field team. `` I think I opened the gate for all of them, '' she reflected. `` Whether they think that or not, they should be grateful to someone in the black race who was able to do these things. '' References Jump up ^ `` Alice Coachman Biography ''. sports.jrank.org. Archived from the original on 2010 - 09 - 28. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 27. ^ Jump up to : Ennis, Lisa A. ( July 17, 2014 ). `` Alice Coachman ( 1923 - 2014 ) ''. www.georgiaencyclopedia.org. New Georgia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Alice Coachman - First African American Woman Gold Medallist ''. Olympics 30 - Great Olympic Stories. Retrieved 2 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Alice Coachman Biography Track and Field Athlete ( 1923 -- 2014 ) ''. The Biography.com website. Biography. Retrieved 3 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Alice Coachman - obituary ; Alice Coachman was an American athlete who became the first black woman to win Olympic gold ''. Telegraph Online. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 24. ^ Jump up to : Essington, Amy. `` Coachman, Alice Marie ( 1923 - 2014 ) ''. BlackPast.org. Retrieved 3 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica ( October 24, 2014 ). `` Alice Coachman ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 August 2015. Jump up ^ Williams, Eric ( 2006 - 04 - 06 ). `` The Greatest Black Female Athletes Of All - Time ''. BlackAthlete. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 24. Jump up ^ Greenblatt, Alan ( 2014 - 07 - 19 ). `` Why An African - American Sports Pioneer Remains Obscure ''. Code Switch. NPR. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 24. ^ Jump up to : Goldstein, Richard ( July 14, 2014 ). `` Alice Coachman, 90, Dies ; First Black Woman to Win Olympic Gold - NYTimes.com ''. The New York Times. New York : NYTC. ISSN 0362 - 4331. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Alice Coachman ''. Notable Sports Figures, 2004. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Sports of The Times ; Good Things Happening for One Who Decided to Wait ''. New York Times. Retrieved 2015 - 02 - 24. Jump up ^ `` Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Members by Year '' ( PDF ). Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017. Jump up ^ https://aka-web.s3.amazonaws.com/files/Coachman_Davis_Obituary.pdf Jump up ^ `` Honorees : 2010 National Women 's History Month ''. Women 's History Month. National Women 's History Project. 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` BBC News - US black female gold Olympian Alice Coachman Davis dies ''. Bbc.com. 1970 - 01 - 01. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 15. Further reading `` Alice Coachman, 1st Black Woman Gold Medalist, To Be Honored. '' Jet ( July 29, 1996 ) : 53. Cummings, D.L. `` An Inspirational Jump Into History. '' Daily News ( February 9, 1997 ) : 75. Danzig, Allison. `` 83,000 At Olympics. '' New York Times ( August 8, 1948 ) : S1. Deramus, Betty. `` Living Legends. '' Essence ( February, 1999 ) : 93. `` Georgia 's Top 100 Athletes of the 1900s. '' Atlanta Journal - Constitution ( December 26, 1999 ) : 4G. `` Miss Coachman Honored : Tuskegee Woman Gains 3 Places on All - America Track Team. '' New York Times ( January 11, 1946 ) : 24. Rhoden, William C. `` Sports of the Times ; Good Things Happening for the One Who Decided to Wait. '' New York Times ( April 27, 1995 ) : B14. Rosen, Karen. `` Olympic Weekly ; 343 Days ; Georgia 's Olympic Legacy. '' Atlanta Journal - Constitution ( August 11, 1995 ) : 6D. Weiner, Jay. `` A Place in History, Not Just a Footnote. '' Star Tribune ( July 29, 1996 ) : 4S. External links Alice Coachman 's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project Olympic champions in women 's high jump 1928 Ethel Catherwood ( CAN ) 1932 Jean Shiley ( USA ) 1936 Ibolya Csák ( HUN ) 1948 Alice Coachman ( USA ) 1952 Esther Brand ( RSA ) 1956 Mildred McDaniel ( USA ) 1960 Iolanda Balaș ( ROU ) 1964 Iolanda Balaș ( ROU ) 1968 Miloslava Rezková ( TCH ) 1972 Ulrike Meyfarth ( FRG ) 1976 Rosemarie Ackermann ( GDR ) 1980 Sara Simeoni ( ITA ) 1984 Ulrike Meyfarth ( FRG ) 1988 Louise Ritter ( USA ) 1992 Heike Henkel ( GER ) 1996 Stefka Kostadinova ( BUL ) 2000 Yelena Yelesina ( RUS ) 2004 Yelena Slesarenko ( RUS ) 2008 Tia Hellebaut ( BEL ) 2012 Anna Chicherova ( RUS ) 2016 Ruth Beitia ( ESP ) US National Championship winners in women 's 100 - meter dash 1923 -- 1979 Amateur Athletic Union 1923 -- 1924 : Frances Ruppert 1925 : Helen Filkey 1926 : Rosa Grosse 1927 -- 1928 : Elta Cartwright 1929 : Betty Robinson 1930 : Stella Walsh 1931 : Eleanor Egg 1932 : Wilhelmina von Bremen 1933 : Annette Rogers 1934 : not held 1935 -- 1936 : Helen Stephens 1937 : Claire Isicson 1938 : Lula Hymes 1939 : Olive Hasenfus 1940 -- 1941 : Jean Lane 1942 : Alice Coachman 1943 -- 1944 : Stella Walsh 1945 -- 1946 : Alice Coachman 1947 : Juanita Watson 1948 : Stella Walsh 1949 -- 1950 : Jean Patton 1951 : Mary McNabb 1952 : Catherine Hardy 1953 -- 1954 : Barbara Jones 1955 -- 1956 : Mae Faggs 1957 : Barbara Jones 1958 : Margaret Matthews 1959 -- 1962 : Wilma Rudolph 1963 : Edith McGuire 1964 -- 1966 : Wyomia Tyus 1967 : Barbara Ferrell 1968 : Margaret Bailes 1969 : Barbara Ferrell 1970 : Chi Cheng ( TWN ) * Iris Davis 1971 : Iris Davis 1972 : Alice Annum ( GHA ) * ( 3 ) Iris Davis 1973 : Iris Davis 1974 : Renaye Bowen 1975 : Rosalyn Bryant 1976 : Chandra Cheeseborough 1977 : Evelyn Ashford 1978 : Leleith Hodges ( JAM ) * Brenda Morehead 1979 : Evelyn Ashford 1980 -- 1992 The Athletics Congress 1980 : Alice Brown 1981 -- 1983 : Evelyn Ashford 1984 Merlene Ottey ( JAM ) * Alice Brown 1985 : Merlene Ottey ( JAM ) * Pam Marshall 1986 : Pam Marshall 1987 : Diane Williams 1988 : Sheila Echols 1989 : Dawn Sowell 1990 : Michelle Finn 1991 : Carlette Guidry 1992 : Gwen Torrence 1993 -- present USA Track & Field 1993 -- 1994 : Gail Devers 1995 -- 1996 : Gwen Torrence 1997 -- 1998 : Marion Jones 1999 : Inger Miller 2000 : Marion Jones 2001 : Chryste Gaines 2002 : Marion Jones 2003 : Torri Edwards 2004 : LaTasha Colander 2005 : Me'Lisa Barber 2006 : Marion Jones 2007 : Torri Edwards 2008 : Muna Lee 2009 : Carmelita Jeter 2010 : Allyson Felix 2011 -- 2012 : Carmelita Jeter 2013 : English Gardner 2014 : Tianna Bartoletta 2015 : Tori Bowie 2016 : English Gardner 2017 : Tori Bowie Notes OT : 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. Distance : The event was over 100 yards until 1927 ; from 1929 - 31, 1955, 1957 - 8, 1961 - 2, 1965 - 6, 1969 - 70 and 1973 - 4 US National Championship winners in women 's 60 - meter dash 1927 -- 1979 Amateur Athletic Union 1927 : Rosa Grosse ( CAN ) 1928 : Katherine Mearls 1929 -- 32 : Mary Carew 1933 : Pearl Young 1934 : Stanisława Walasiewicz ( POL ) 1935 -- 7 : Helen Stephens 1938 -- 40 : Not held 1941 : Jean Lane 1942 -- 4 : Not held 1945 -- 6 : Alice Coachman 1947 : Not held 1948 : Juanita Watson 1949 -- 50 : Dolores Dwyer 1951 : Catherine Hardy 1952 : Dolores Dwyer 1953 -- 4 : Mabel Landry 1955 -- 8 : Isabelle Daniels 1959 -- 60 : Wilma Rudolph 1961 -- 3 : Willye White 1964 : Debbie Thompson 1965 -- 7 : Wyomia Tyus 1968 -- 9 : Barbara Ferrell 1970 : Chi Cheng ( TPE ) 1971 : Pat Hawkins 1972 -- 3 : Iris Davis 1974 : Theresa Montgomery 1975 : Alice Annum ( GHA ) 1976 : Lisa Hopkins 1977 -- 8 : Brenda Morehead 1979 : Evelyn Ashford 1980 -- 1992 The Athletics Congress 1980 -- 3 : Evelyn Ashford 1984 -- 5 : Alice Brown 1986 : Jeanette Bolden 1987 : Anelia Nuneva ( BUL ) 1988 : Evelyn Ashford & Gwen Torrence 1989 : Gwen Torrence 1990 -- 2 : Michelle Finn 1993 -- present USA Track & Field 1993 : Gail Devers 1994 -- 6 : Gwen Torrence 1997 : Gail Devers 1998 : Christy Opara - Thompson ( NGR ) 1999 : Gail Devers 2000 : Carlette Guidry - White 2001 -- 2 : Chryste Gaines 2003 : Angela Williams 2004 : Gail Devers 2005 : Angela Daigle 2006 : Me'Lisa Barber 2007 : Hasani Roseby 2008 : Angela Williams 2009 : Me'Lisa Barber 2010 : Carmelita Jeter 2011 : Alexandria Anderson 2012 : Tianna Madison 2013 : Barbara Pierre 2014 -- 15 : Tianna Bartoletta 2016 : Barbara Pierre Notes * Distances have varied as follows : 40 yards ( 1927 -- 1932 ), 50 meters ( 1933 -- 54 ), 50 yards ( 1956 -- 64 ), 60 yards ( 1965 -- 86 ), 55 meters ( 1987 -- 1990 ) 1948 USA Olympic Track & Field Team Qualification 1948 United States Olympic Trials ( track and field ) Men 's track & road athletes Dick Ault Herb Barten Dave Bolen Cliff Bourland Bob Chambers Roy Cochran Ernest Crosbie John Deni Harrison Dillard Craig Dixon Clem Eischen Barney Ewell Don Gehrmann Herman Goffberg George Guida Art Harnden Johnny Kelley Jeff Kirk Henry Laskau Ollie Manninen Bob McMillen Eddie O'Toole Whitey Overton Mel Patton Bill Porter Clarence Robison Browning Ross Clyde Scott Fred Sharaga Roland Sink Curt Stone Jerry Thompson Ted Vogel Ernest Weber Adolf Weinacker Mal Whitfield Fred Wilt Lorenzo Wright ( r ) Men 's field athletes Bill Albans Bob Beckus Bob Bennett Martin Biles Bill Burton Jim Delaney Herb Douglas Henry Dreyer Dwight Eddleman Sam Felton Vic Frank Jim Fuchs Fortune Gordien Erkki Koutonen Bob Likins Bob Mathias Vern McGrew Irving `` Moon '' Mondschein Boo Morcom Bob Richards Steve Seymour Floyd Simmons Guinn Smith George Stanich Willie Steele Wilbur Thompson Lorenzo Wright Women 's track athletes Mae Faggs Nell Jackson Theresa Manuel Audrey Patterson Bernice Robinson Mabel Walker Jean Walraven Lillian Young Women 's field athletes Alice Coachman Dorothy Dodson Frances Kaszubski Theresa Manuel Bernice Robinson Emma Reed Jean Walraven Lillian Young Coaches Dean Cromwell ( men 's head coach ) Emmett Brunson ( men 's assistant coach ) Ward Haylett ( men 's assistant coach ) Tom Jones ( men 's assistant coach ) Emil Von Elling ( men 's assistant coach ) Fred Travalena ( road event coach ) Catherine Meyer ( women 's coach ) VIAF : 30912768 LCCN : n83125293 IATH : w6kh344v Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alice_Coachman&oldid=807897707 '' Categories : 1923 births 2014 deaths African - American female track and field athletes American female high jumpers Athletes ( track and field ) at the 1948 Summer Olympics College women 's basketball players in the United States Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Sportspeople from Albany, Georgia Tuskegee University alumni Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Eesti Español Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Latviešu Монгол 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Slovenščina Suomi Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 30 October 2017, at 18 : 36. 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Question: first black woman to win a gold medal in the olympics
Answer: Alice Coachman Davis