Ivan William Fuqua (August 9, 1909 – January 14, 1994) was an American
athlete, a gold medal winner in the 4 × 400 m
relay
A relay
Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts
An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off
A relay is an electrically operated switch ...
at the
1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Fuqua was born in
Decatur, Illinois, and graduated from Brazil High School in
Brazil, Indiana
Brazil is a city in Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,912 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current chief executive of Brazil ...
, where he set multiple track and field school records. He then went on to play football and excel in track and field at
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
, Bloomington, Indiana.
Biography
Fuqua was an
AAU champion in 400 m in 1933 and 1934. At the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
Olympics, or Games of the X Olympiad, Fuqua ran the opening leg in the American 4 × 400 m relay team, winning the gold medal - Indiana University's first - with a new
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 ...
of 3:08.2.
After graduation, Ivan Fuqua was appointed track coach at Connecticut State (now the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...
). He entered the Navy during World War II, and was discharged in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant commander. He joined
Brown University as a coach. He stayed there as head coach from 1947 until 1973, when he retired. He later became a manager and co-owner of Galilee Beach Club in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
.
In 1968, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. In 1981, Fuqua was inducted into the Brown University Hall of Fame.
Ivan Fuqua died in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
at the age of 84.
Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuqua, Ivan
1909 births
1994 deaths
American male sprinters
Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics
Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field
Sportspeople from Decatur, Illinois
People from Brazil, Indiana
Sportspeople from Providence, Rhode Island
Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics
United States Navy personnel of World War II
United States Navy officers
Military personnel from Illinois