- Ralph Metcalfe
: "Not to be confused with early 19th century New Hampshire politician
Ralph Metcalf "Ralph Harold Metcalfe (May 30 ,1910 –October 10 ,1978 ) was an American athlete and politician. Metcalfe jointly held theworld record for the 100 metre sprint. Metcalfe was known as the world’s fastest human from 1932 through 1934. He later went into politics and served in the United States Congress.Born in
Atlanta, Georgia , Metcalfe studied atMarquette University and equalled the record of 10.3 seconds on a number of occasions, as well as equaling the 200 metre record of 20.6 seconds. At the1932 Summer Olympics he virtually dead-heated with his rivalEddie Tolan , with the medal awarded to Tolan only after extended study of the photograph. Both recorded a time of 10.38 seconds. He received a bronze medal in the 200 metre event at these games. Metcalfe competed again in the 100 metres at the1936 Summer Olympics , placing second to the greatJesse Owens . He received a gold medal as part of the winning 4x100 relay team.Metcalfe completed a
master's degree at theUniversity of Southern California . After his college career, he joined the armed forces and served inWorld War II . Metcalfe later coached track atXavier University of Louisiana before becoming a successful businessman inChicago, Illinois .In 1949, Metcalfe won election as an alderman representing the South Side of
Chicago, Illinois . He was a Democrat representingIllinois' 1st congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1971 until his death in 1978 at age sixty-eight. He was a co-founder of theCongressional Black Caucus (CBC).In 1975, Metcalfe was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame (USATF) and named a member of the President's
Commission on Olympic Sports .He is interred at
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery inAlsip ,Illinois .The federal building at 77 W. Jackson in Chicago was named for Metcalfe when it was dedicated in 1991.
Metcalfe was a member of
Alpha Phi Alpha , the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.External links
* [http://www.usatf.org/HallOfFame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=108 Ralph Metcalfe Biography]
* [http://www.gshf.org Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]
*CongBio|M000675
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6412431 Ralph Metcalfe Memorial] atFind A Grave
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