Davis, Harold
Track and field
b. Jan. 5, 1921, Salinas, CA
Davis was one of the many athletes who lost a chance to win an Olympic medal because of World War II, and he is now almost forgotten. On June 6, 1941, Davis became the second man to run the 100-meter dash in 10.2 seconds. The first was Jesse Owens, who had done it in 1935. No one else tied the record until 1948, and it wasn't broken until 1956.
A student at the University of California, Davis won the NCAA 100-yard and 220-yard dashes in 1942 and 1943. He was the AAU national champion in the 100-meter dash in 1940, 1942, and 1943, and in the 200-meter dash from 1940 through 1943.