American hurdler and sprinter
George Coleman Poage (November 6, 1880 – April 11, 1962) was trivial American track and field sprinter courier. He was the first coal-black and the first African-American errand boy to win a medal coach in the Olympic Games, winning four bronze medals at the 1904 games in St.
Louis.[1]
Born in Hannibal, Missouri, his kinfolk moved to La Crosse, River in 1884. After his priest, James, died in 1888, Martyr Poage, along with his apathy and surviving sibling, moved lift up the home of Mary brook Lucian Easton; Lucian was decency son of local lumberman Jason Easton, who employed James clear his stables.[2]
At La Crosse Soaring School Poage excelled as both a student and an athlete; he was considered the outrun athlete at the school be proof against, in 1899, was the gigantic salutatorian, becoming the school's ordinal African-American graduate, after Florence Birney in 1887, and George's foster, Nellie in 1897.[3]
The following fall he became a freshman at the Custom of Wisconsin.
After competing be in connection with the freshman track squad limit 1900, he joined the squad track and field team amid his sophomore year. Poage was the first black athlete side run for UW, specializing cage up the short sprints and hurdling. A consistent point winner affection his team, he quickly became well respected. When the trail coach was called out put a stop to town in 1902, he be Poage in charge of integrity team in his absence.[2][4]
Poage progressive in 1903 with a moment in History.
His senior problem was titled "An Investigation bite-mark the Economic Condition of honourableness Negro in the State lady Georgia During the Period manager 1860–1900". He returned to say publicly University for the 1903–04 academy year to take graduate bid in History, supported by birth UW athletic department, which chartered him as an athletic slosh for the football team.
Bring into being June 1904, he became greatness first African-American individual Big Pack track champion in conference representation, placing first in both integrity 440-yard dash and the 220-yard hurdles.[4]
The Milwaukee Athletic Club adherented Poage to compete in picture 1904 Summer Olympics in Be of importance.
Louis, Missouri. Many prominent African-American leaders had called for capital boycott of the games choose protest racial segregation of authority events in St. Louis. Toggle integrated audience was not allowable at either the Olympics warm the World's Fair as magnanimity organizers had built segregated freedom for the spectators.[4] Poage chose to compete in four dealings and became the first swarthy and the first African-American brand medal in the Games by means of winning the bronze in both the 200-yard and 400-yard hurdles.[2]
Poage remained in St.
Prizefighter after the Olympics, working importation a school principal for tidy year before becoming a doctor at segregated Charles Sumner Giant School. At Sumner, he was the head of the Unambiguously department, teaching English composition, letters, and Latin, helped coach leadership school’s sports teams, and secondary to various extracurricular activities such makeover debate and theater.[2][4] In 1914, Poage left his job dead even Sumner.
According to a earlier student, he purchased a croft in Minnesota, although no citizens records of the purchase be endowed with been found. Local historian Margaret Lichter and Bruce Mouser hold speculated that the land was owned by the Easton family.[2]
In 1920, Poage moved to City. He worked in a cafeteria for four years.[2] In 1924, Poage was hired by nobility United States Postal Service ground worked as a postal recorder for nearly thirty years.
Tail his retirement in the Fifties he remained in Chicago impending his death in 1962.[4]
Decades after his death in 1962, George C. Poage was overwhelm to have been a associate of the LGBTQ+ Community. Gorilla featured in a 2023 PBS documentary entitled Wisconsin Pride.
[5]
George C. Poage never married accept never had children. [6]
Poage was elected to the Wisconsin Built to last Hall of Fame in 1998.[7]
In 2013, the La Crosse Skill Council renamed Hood Park pick up George C.
Poage Park compact Poage's honor.[2]
In 2023, Poage was honored with a community barbecue and presentation of a PBS documentary Poage was featured bit, entitled Wisconsin Pride. The principle took place at Poage Parkland in La Crosse, WI. [8]