Catherine Hardy
Encyclopedia
Catherine Hardy Lavender (née
Catherine Hardy) (born February 8, 1930) is an African-American athlete who competed mainly in the 100 meters. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay
at the 1952 Olympic Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland. Later Hardy married, had children, and a 30-year teaching career in Atlanta schools.
) instead. Though West Georgia College (now University of West Georgia
) was only a few miles from Hardy's home in Carrollton, schools were still segregated and as an African-American, Hardy had to look elsewhere to attend college.
In college, Hardy continued playing basketball and enjoyed it. Raymond Pitts, the track coach at Fort Valley, encouraged her to look into track. She agreed, and in 1949, she ran and won her first race at the Tuskegee Relays. Two years later, she won the Amateur Athletic Union
(AAU) indoor meet in New York City
, winning the 50-yard dash
and setting a new American record. From 1951-1952, she made All-American.
Hardy received a lot of support at Fort Valley for her athletic pursuits. She worked very hard with her track coaches, Catherine and Richard Craig, and to this day, speaks of them with much fondness. Mr. Bill Burroughs of Fort Valley also had a great impact on her track life, serving as her student trainer.
In 1952, Hardy received her B.S. degree in Business Education
. After graduation, she trained hard in preparation for AAU events and the Olympic tryouts. At the AAU, Hardy was a triple winner, winning the 50-yard dash, as well as the 100- and 200-meter races.
, Hardy set an American record in the 200-meter run, thus securing a position on the 1952 U.S. Olympic Women's Track Team. She was the only representative of the state of Georgia
that year in the Olympics, held in Helsinki
, Finland
. There, she anchored the 4x100 meter relay
. She won the gold medal
with her teammates Mae Faggs
, Barbara Jones and Janet Moreau
.
This particular race was an upset
, because the Australians and their star, Marjorie Jackson
, whom they called "Jet", were heavily favored to win. A poor baton transfer, however, killed the Australians' chances.
Originally, Janet Moreau
was to serve as the anchor
for the team, but when the coach realized that Hardy was the fastest runner on the team, the order was changed. Photographs and video of the race show that the race was quite close, but the US runner Hardy was the one who broke the tape at the finish, edging out Germany
, who took the silver medal
, and Great Britain
, who won the bronze medal
.
Noteworthy is the fact that Hardy's time in the 100 meters she ran was faster than the winning time in the 100-meter race at this Olympics. Though Hardy had been slated to compete in that event as well, a poor showing in one of the heats killed her chances at advancement. Despite this fact, Hardy and her teammates set a new world record, and brought home the gold in this event.
Upon returning to the States, Hardy was greeted with a ticker tape parade in her hometown, but further recognition was rather muted.
Hardy was offered coaching positions in the northern U.S., but chose to enter her field of study—education—in Atlanta, Georgia
. There she settled, marrying the late Edward Wright Lavender, Sr. in 1956, and bearing two children—a son Edward Lavender, Jr. in 1957, and a daughter Stephanie in 1960.
Hardy Lavender continued teaching, having a career that lasted over 30 years. She retired in 1986 to care for her aged mother who had Alzheimer's disease
. After her mother died in 1987, Hardy Lavender returned to education by substitute teaching in the Atlanta Public Schools
system.
To date, Hardy Lavender still lives a productive, independent life in Atlanta. She still substitute teaches on occasion, but prefers to engage in the public ministry, which has become the focal point of her life.
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Catherine Hardy) (born February 8, 1930) is an African-American athlete who competed mainly in the 100 meters. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
at the 1952 Olympic Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland. Later Hardy married, had children, and a 30-year teaching career in Atlanta schools.
Early life and education
Hardy Lavender was born in Carroll County, GA, the third of eight children born to Ernest and Emma (Echols) Hardy. After graduating from Carroll County Training School at age 16, she wanted to attend Tuskegee Institute. Her family was a farming family of limited means, however; so she attended Fort Valley State College (now Fort Valley State UniversityFort Valley State University
Fort Valley State University is a historically black university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is also a unit of the University System of Georgia and a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
) instead. Though West Georgia College (now University of West Georgia
University of West Georgia
The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003...
) was only a few miles from Hardy's home in Carrollton, schools were still segregated and as an African-American, Hardy had to look elsewhere to attend college.
In college, Hardy continued playing basketball and enjoyed it. Raymond Pitts, the track coach at Fort Valley, encouraged her to look into track. She agreed, and in 1949, she ran and won her first race at the Tuskegee Relays. Two years later, she won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
(AAU) indoor meet in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, winning the 50-yard dash
Dash
A dash is one of several kinds of punctuation mark. Dashes appear similar to hyphens, but differ from them primarily in length, and serve different functions. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash and the em dash .-Common dashes:...
and setting a new American record. From 1951-1952, she made All-American.
Hardy received a lot of support at Fort Valley for her athletic pursuits. She worked very hard with her track coaches, Catherine and Richard Craig, and to this day, speaks of them with much fondness. Mr. Bill Burroughs of Fort Valley also had a great impact on her track life, serving as her student trainer.
In 1952, Hardy received her B.S. degree in Business Education
Business education
Business education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories, and processes of business. Education in this field occurs at several levels, including secondary education and higher education or university education. Approximately 38% of student enroll in one or more business courses...
. After graduation, she trained hard in preparation for AAU events and the Olympic tryouts. At the AAU, Hardy was a triple winner, winning the 50-yard dash, as well as the 100- and 200-meter races.
To the Olympic Games
At the U.S. Olympic tryouts in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Hardy set an American record in the 200-meter run, thus securing a position on the 1952 U.S. Olympic Women's Track Team. She was the only representative of the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
that year in the Olympics, held in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. There, she anchored the 4x100 meter relay
Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch. Many relays use an electromagnet to operate a switching mechanism mechanically, but other operating principles are also used. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a low-power signal , or where several circuits must be controlled...
. She won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
with her teammates Mae Faggs
Mae Faggs
Heriwentha Faggs Starr1 was an American athlete who mainly competed in the sprint events. She graduated from Bayside High School, and then went to Tennessee State University to run under Hall of Fame coach Ed Temple, one of the first U.S...
, Barbara Jones and Janet Moreau
Janet Moreau
Janet Teresa Moreau is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 100 meters.She competed for the United States in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland in the 4 x 100 meters where she won the Gold medal with her teammates Mae Faggs, Barbara Jones and Catherine Hardy.- External...
.
This particular race was an upset
Upset
An upset occurs in a competition, frequently in electoral politics or sports, when the party popularly expected to win , is defeated by an underdog whom the majority expects to lose, defying the conventional wisdom...
, because the Australians and their star, Marjorie Jackson
Marjorie Jackson
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson, AC, CVO, MBE is a former Governor of South Australia and a former Australian athlete...
, whom they called "Jet", were heavily favored to win. A poor baton transfer, however, killed the Australians' chances.
Originally, Janet Moreau
Janet Moreau
Janet Teresa Moreau is an American athlete who competed mainly in the 100 meters.She competed for the United States in the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland in the 4 x 100 meters where she won the Gold medal with her teammates Mae Faggs, Barbara Jones and Catherine Hardy.- External...
was to serve as the anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
for the team, but when the coach realized that Hardy was the fastest runner on the team, the order was changed. Photographs and video of the race show that the race was quite close, but the US runner Hardy was the one who broke the tape at the finish, edging out Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, who took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
, and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, who won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
.
Noteworthy is the fact that Hardy's time in the 100 meters she ran was faster than the winning time in the 100-meter race at this Olympics. Though Hardy had been slated to compete in that event as well, a poor showing in one of the heats killed her chances at advancement. Despite this fact, Hardy and her teammates set a new world record, and brought home the gold in this event.
Upon returning to the States, Hardy was greeted with a ticker tape parade in her hometown, but further recognition was rather muted.
Career, marriage and family
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. There she settled, marrying the late Edward Wright Lavender, Sr. in 1956, and bearing two children—a son Edward Lavender, Jr. in 1957, and a daughter Stephanie in 1960.
Hardy Lavender continued teaching, having a career that lasted over 30 years. She retired in 1986 to care for her aged mother who had Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. After her mother died in 1987, Hardy Lavender returned to education by substitute teaching in the Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools
Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with interim superintendent Erroll Davis...
system.
To date, Hardy Lavender still lives a productive, independent life in Atlanta. She still substitute teaches on occasion, but prefers to engage in the public ministry, which has become the focal point of her life.