George Poage
Encyclopedia
George Coleman Poage (November 6, 1880–April 11, 1962) was the first African American
athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games
, winning two bronze medals at the 1904 games in St. Louis
.
Born in Hannibal, Missouri
, his family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin
when he was still a youngster.
At La Crosse High School Poage excelled as both a student and an athlete.
He was easily the school’s best athlete.
As the second-best student in his class and its first African-American graduate, at commencement in 1899 he addressed the assembly as the salutatorian
of his class.
The following fall he became a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
After competing with the freshman track squad in 1900, he joined the varsity track and field
team during his sophomore year.
Poage was the first black athlete to run for the UW, specializing in the short sprints
and hurdle
s.
A consistent point winner for his team, he quickly became well respected.
When the track coach was called out of town in 1902, the student newspaper The Daily Cardinal
reported “while [Coach] Kilpatrick is absent, Mr. Poage will take charge of the track work.”
Poage graduated in 1903 with a degree in History
.
His senior thesis was titled “An Investigation into the Economic Condition of the Negro in the State of Georgia During the Period of 1860-1900.”
He returned to the University for the 1903-04 school year to take graduate
classes in History.
To help support his extra year on campus, the athletic department hired him to be a trainer for the football team.
In June 1904, he became the first African-American individual Big Ten
track champion in conference history, placing first in both the 440-yard dash
and the 220-yard hurdles.
The Milwaukee athletic club sponsored Poage to compete in the third Olympic games that were being held during the 1904 World's Fair
in St. Louis.
Many prominent African-American leaders had called for a boycott of the games to protest racial segregation
of the events in St. Louis.
An integrated audience was not allowed at either the Olympics or the World's Fair as
the organizers had built segregated facilities for the spectators.
Poage chose to compete and became the first African-American to medal in the Games by winning the bronze in both the 220-yard and 440-yard hurdles.
Poage returned to St. Louis after the Olympics to teach at segregated Sumner High School, where he was the head of the English department and helped coach the school’s sports teams.
After teaching at Sumner for about ten years, he purchased a farm in Minnesota
and lived there until after World War I
.
Moving to Chicago
at the height of the Jim Crow
era, he found few job opportunities available for blacks, even those with a college degree.
In 1924, Poage was hired by the United States Postal Service
and worked as a postal clerk for nearly thirty years.
After his retirement in the 1950s he remained in Chicago until his death in 1962.
He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1998.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, winning two bronze medals at the 1904 games in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Born in Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal, Missouri
Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...
, his family moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
when he was still a youngster.
At La Crosse High School Poage excelled as both a student and an athlete.
He was easily the school’s best athlete.
As the second-best student in his class and its first African-American graduate, at commencement in 1899 he addressed the assembly as the salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
of his class.
The following fall he became a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
After competing with the freshman track squad in 1900, he joined the varsity track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team during his sophomore year.
Poage was the first black athlete to run for the UW, specializing in the short sprints
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
and hurdle
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
s.
A consistent point winner for his team, he quickly became well respected.
When the track coach was called out of town in 1902, the student newspaper The Daily Cardinal
The Daily Cardinal
The Daily Cardinal is a student newspaper that serves the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. The sixth oldest daily student newspaper in the country, it began publishing on Monday, April 4, 1892...
reported “while [Coach] Kilpatrick is absent, Mr. Poage will take charge of the track work.”
Poage graduated in 1903 with a degree in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
His senior thesis was titled “An Investigation into the Economic Condition of the Negro in the State of Georgia During the Period of 1860-1900.”
He returned to the University for the 1903-04 school year to take graduate
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
classes in History.
To help support his extra year on campus, the athletic department hired him to be a trainer for the football team.
In June 1904, he became the first African-American individual Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
track champion in conference history, placing first in both the 440-yard dash
440-yard dash
The 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile race, is a sprint race in track and field competitions.In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440 yard dash – also referred to as the 'quarter-mile'...
and the 220-yard hurdles.
The Milwaukee athletic club sponsored Poage to compete in the third Olympic games that were being held during the 1904 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in St. Louis.
Many prominent African-American leaders had called for a boycott of the games to protest racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
of the events in St. Louis.
An integrated audience was not allowed at either the Olympics or the World's Fair as
the organizers had built segregated facilities for the spectators.
Poage chose to compete and became the first African-American to medal in the Games by winning the bronze in both the 220-yard and 440-yard hurdles.
Poage returned to St. Louis after the Olympics to teach at segregated Sumner High School, where he was the head of the English department and helped coach the school’s sports teams.
After teaching at Sumner for about ten years, he purchased a farm in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and lived there until after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Moving to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the height of the Jim Crow
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
era, he found few job opportunities available for blacks, even those with a college degree.
In 1924, Poage was hired by the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
and worked as a postal clerk for nearly thirty years.
After his retirement in the 1950s he remained in Chicago until his death in 1962.
He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is a promenade in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dedicated to honoring distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. New members are honored at a biennial banquet.-History:...
in 1998.