David Donald Albritton (April 13, 1913 – May 14, 1994) was an American athlete, teacher, coach, and state legislator. He had a long athletic career that spanned three decades and numerous titles and was one of the first
high jumpers to use the
straddle technique
The straddle technique was the dominant style in the high jump before the development of the Fosbury Flop. It is a successor of the Western roll, with which it is sometimes confused.
Unlike the scissors or flop style of jump, where the jumper ...
. He was born in
Danville, Alabama
Danville, also known as Houstons Store, is an unincorporated community in Morgan County, Alabama
Morgan County is a county in the north central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, its population was 123,421. The county s ...
.
Athletic career
As a sophomore at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
, Albritton won the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
in 1936.
In 1936, Albritton and
Cornelius Johnson both cleared 6 ft 9 in (2.07 m) to set a
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
at the
Olympic Trials, becoming the first people of African descent to hold the world record in the event. Albritton was second to Johnson at the
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...
, with a height of 6 ft 6 in (2.00 m). He claimed the
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
in a jump-off after he and two other jumpers cleared the same height.
Albritton and Johnson were snubbed by
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
when they went to collect their medals. In 2016, the 1936 Olympic journey of the eighteen Black American athletes, including Albritton and
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...
was documented in the film ''
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
''Olympic Pride, American Prejudice'' is a 2016 American documentary film written and directed by Deborah Riley Draper. Dr. Amy Tiemann, Michael A. Draper, and Blair Underwood (who also narrated the film) were executive producers. The film premier ...
''.
Albritton won or tied for seven National
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based 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. It h ...
outdoor titles from 1936 to 1950. He was AAU outdoor champion in 1937, 1946, and 1947 and tied for three national collegiate titles, in 1938, 1945, and 1950.
Coaching and political career
Albritton later became a high school teacher and coach. He served in the
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate.
The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...
for six terms. In 1980, he was inducted into the
USA Track and Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and ...
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
.
Death and legacy
David D. Albritton is buried a
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretumin Dayton, Ohio. He is located in Section 300 Lot 86.
A historic marker honoring Albritton was unveiled on July 12, 2013 Danville, Alabama.
Link with Jesse Owens
Albritton and
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...
were born in Alabama, Albritton in Danville and Owens in nearby Oakville; both attended
East Technical High School
East Technical High School or East Tech is a secondary school under the operation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, Ohio.
History
The school, when it opened on October 5, 1908, was the first public trade school in the ci ...
in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
; both attended the
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
and were coached by
Larry Snyder; both were members of
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity; both competed in the
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...
.
References
*
Wallechinsky, David (2004). ''The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics'',
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
: Sport Classic Books.
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Albritton, Dave
1913 births
1994 deaths
American male high jumpers
African-American male track and field athletes
American athlete-politicians
Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
Members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio State Buckeyes men's track and field athletes
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field
People from Morgan County, Alabama
Track and field athletes from Alabama
Ohio State University alumni
20th-century American politicians
Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics
20th-century African-American politicians