Hubbard, William DeHart
Track and Field
b. Nov. 25, 1903, Cincinnati, OH
d. June 23, 1976
Hubbard was the first black to win an individual Olympic gold medal, in the 1924 long jump. The following year, he set a world record of 25 feet, 10 7/8 inches in the event at the NCAA championships. And in 1926 he tied the world record of 9.6 seconds in the 100-yard dash.
Competing for the University of Michigan, Hubbard won the NCAA long jump championship in 1923 and both the 100-yard dash and the long jump in 1925. He was the AAU triple jump champion in 1922-23 and the long jump champion six consecutive years, 1922-27.
In 1927, Hubbard had his best long jump, 26 feet, 2 1/4 inches, but the mark wasn't recognized because the takeoff board was an inch higher than the landing pit.