Albany, Georgia (November 9, 1923 -July 14, 2014) age 90 yrs

Alice Coachman Davis was an American athlete who specialized in high jump. She was the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Coachman made history at the 1948 Olympics in London. She leapt to a record-breaking height of 5 feet, 6 and 1/8 inches. Her achievement in the high jump finals made her the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Coachman was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. She was also inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004. Coachman has received recognition for opening the door for future African American track stars. Athletes like Evelyn Ashford, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee followed her path. Coachman’s athletic career ended when she was 24. She dedicated the rest of her life to education. She supported young athletes. She also supported older, retired Olympic veterans through the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation.