Herb Douglas

Herb Douglas of the University of Pittsburgh won the AAU outdoor long jump in 1945 and the indoor title in 1947 and 1949. At the IC4A he was the outdoor winner in 1946 and was the indoor champion three times, and he was second in the long jump at the 1947 NCAA Meet. Douglas transferred to Pittsburgh after starting at Xavier University (Louisiana), and he also played football at Pittsburgh. At Xavier he had run lead-off on their winning 4x100 relay team at the 1942 Penn Relays. The best long jump mark of his career came at the 1948 Final Trials when he jumped 25-3 (7.69) but he could not match this at the Olympics and took the bronze medal.

Douglas later obtained a masters’ degree in education from Pitt and started a business career. He joined Schieffelin & Company in Philadelphia, later Moet Hennessy USA, and stayed with the company for 30 years. Douglas eventually became a vice-president of the company, only the third African-American vice-president of a major North American company. He later became a trustee of the University of Pittsburgh.

Personal Best: LJ – 7.69 (1948).