John Terry

At the 1936 Olympics, John Terry became the first African-American to represent the United States in weightlifting. He was unfortunate in that his best Olympic year would have been 1940, as Terry won the AAU title as a bantamweight from 1938-41. In 1939 he set a world record for the deadlift with 600 lbs (272 kg), considered enormous for his bodyweight and he is still considered one of the greatest ever at the deadlift, pound-for-pound. Terry also competed at the 1938 World Championships in Vienna, Austria, and did make the theoretical US Olympic team in 1940.

In World War II Terry served in the US Army for about one year. After his service he returned to York, Pennsylvania where he owned a café and worked for the York Barbell Company. After some legal issues he spent four years in a mental health facility. Upon his release, Terry opened a gym to teach youth weightlifting.