PITTSBURGH — The oldest living U.S. Olympic medalist and University of Pittsburgh alumnus Herbert P. Douglas Jr. died Saturday at the age of 101.
Douglas was born in Pittsburgh on March 9, 1922. The future Olympian attended Gladstone Elementary School in Hazelwood .
>>>Photos of Douglas through the years<<<
Read More At the University of Pittsburgh , Douglas was one of the first African Americans to play football, but it was track and field that put him on the international stage. His bronze in the 1948 games in London came in the long jump.
“In every role that he filled, as an aspiring athlete from Hazelwood, as a student-athlete and University trustee and as an esteemed businessman, Olympian and community leader, Herb Douglas excelled,” Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher said. “He was both a champion himself and a champion of others, never hesitating to open doors of opportunity and help people pursue their own success. Unsurprisingly, Herb left an indelible mark on this world, while leaving an incomprehensible hole in the hearts of so many. I am proud to have called him my friend, and Karen and I will be keeping his family and circle of loved ones close in thought as we begin to honor his remarkable life and legacy.”
Douglas also became a very successful businessman and executive. He was also very heavily involved with his alma mater, serving on its Board of Trustees and later named an emeritus trustee.
Click here to read more about Douglas’ life and legacy.
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Herb Douglas (University of Pittsburgh)
Herb Douglas (University of Pittsburgh)
Herb Douglas (University of Pittsburgh)
Herb Douglas 1945 University of Pittsburgh football team photo. Herb Douglas is #77. (University of Pittsburgh)
Herb Douglas Spectators jam Wembley Stadium in London during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, July 29, 1948. The U.S. contingent, center foreground, marches around the arena. Massed at the center of the field are 6,000 competitors from around the world. (AP Photo) (AP)
Herb Douglas ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, SEPT. 17-18 - FILE - In this July 29, 1948 file photo, Ralph Craig, center, of Albany, N.Y., who won the 100 and 200-meter dashes in the 1912 Olympic games in Stockholm, and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Yachting team in the 1948 games, bears the American flag in the parade of the nations at the opening of the Olympic games in London's Wembley Stadium. The 1948 London Olympics, were held when the city, recovering from World War II, was dotted with rubble from Nazi bombardment. (AP Photo/File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Herb Douglas Herb Douglas awaits the bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics. (Handout/University of Pittsburgh)
Herb Douglas Pittsburg's Tony Dorsett is congratulated by Herbert P. Douglas, a former Olympic madalist, at Heisman Trophy awards luncheon in New York Tuesday, December 1, 1976. Douglas was one of two black players who broke the color barrier at Pittsburgh in 1945. (AP Photo) (AP)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: Harrison Dillard and Herb Douglas attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
New York Welcomes The Hennessy 250 Tour NEW YORK, NY - JULY 07: Bernard Peillon, Chairman and CEO of Hennessy and former Olympic athlete and gold medal winner Herb Douglas attend the New York welcome of The Hennessy 250 Tour at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on July 7, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Hennessy) (Craig Barritt)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: Herb Douglas attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: John Carlos, left, Herb Douglas, Melissa O'Rourke, and Louis Stokes attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: John Carlos, left, Herb Douglas and Louis Stokes attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: Cavalier Girl Kelsey and Herb Douglas attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Hennessy V.S And Cleveland Cavaliers Honor Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas For Black History Month CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 02: Campy Russell, left, Manny Gonzalez, John Carlos, Harrison Dillard, and Herb Douglas attends the Hennessy V.S and Cleveland Cavaliers event honoring Olympian Medalist Herb Douglas for Black History Month on February 2, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Moet Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Team USA Awards Show PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 10: Olympian Herb Douglas speaks on stage along side co-anchor for NBC's TODAY Show Natalie Morales during the Team USA awards presented by Dow, best of the year on December 10, 2015 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images for the USOC) (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Hennessy Presents The 50th Anniversary Of The Cleveland Summit CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 24: Olympian, former Hennessy executive, Herbert Douglas, Jr. speaks on the 2017 Jim Brown Cleveland Summit: What It Means to Black Athletes 50 Years Later panel. The panel was presented by Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilege and the Cleveland Cavaliers and hosted at the Intercontinental in Cleveland, OH on Feb. 24, 2017. Douglas will continue to champion African American luminaries by presenting special award to Muhammad Ali at the Jesse Owens International Trophy Gala in New York City on April 27, 2017. Proceeds from the Jesse Owens Foundation and Gala will support promising athletes. The Cleveland Cavaliers will honor the legacy of Muhammad Ali and the critical Jim Brown Summit during a memorable halftime presentation during Saturday's game as part of their month long annual Black Heritage Celebration presented by Hennessy. (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images for Hennessy) (Duane Prokop)
Herb Douglas Herb Douglas attends the Jesse Owens International Athlete Trophy Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Thursday, April 27, 2017, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP) (Greg Allen/Greg Allen/Invision/AP)