Commencement 2011 XU Degree for Olympic Medalist — 71 Years After Enrolling
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n unfinished chapter in the remarkable life of Herbert Douglas, Jr. came to a most satisfactory conclusion in 2011 when the 89-year old businessman and storied Olympic champion finally received a Xavier degree 71 years after enrolling. “It’s a storybook ending for me,” said Douglas, who was awarded an honorary degree during the University’s 84th annual commencement. “Can you believe it? Xavier really started my path in life. I learned academics there. I learned how to run. And I learned religion.” Douglas arrived at Xavier in the fall of 1940 after being recruited to compete for future Hall-of-Famer Ralph Metcalfe’s men’s track and field program. Douglas excelled – in 1941 he set a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship meet record in the outdoor long jump, and in 1942 he teamed with William Morton, Clarence Doak and Howard Mitchell to make Xavier the first HBCU (historically black college or university) to win a relay at the Penn Relays. The quartet won the 440-yard relay in 41.7 seconds. But the demands of World War II forced Douglas to leave XU in 1942 after two years. He returned home to help at his father’s Pittsburgh parking garage. “My father had been blind for several years and needed help,” Douglas said. “He was losing employees to the military and to war-related industries. He had a 24-hour garage, and he could not find enough reliable workers. I wanted so much to stay at Xavier, but the circumstances just wouldn’t allow me.” After the war Douglas returned to college – but at his hometown University of Pittsburgh, where today he is best remembered as the only Pitt athlete to win an Olympic medal AND score a touchdown against the University “[Douglas] is best of Notre Dame. He is also credited along with remembered as the only classmate Jimmy Joe Robinson in teaming up Pitt athlete to win an to break a series of racial barriers at the school – Olympic medal AND score including integrating the Pitt football program.
a touchdown against the University of Notre Dame.”
A true student-athlete, he received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Pitt. Douglas went on to win the bronze medal in the long jump at the 1948 Olympics in London.
Douglas joined Schieffelin & Company (now Schieffelin & Somerset) in 1963 where he became the third African-American to reach the level of vice-president of a major North American corporation. While at the innovative wine and spirits importer, he is credited with almost single-handedly introducing the high quality, premium Hennessy Cognac and Moet & Chandon Champagne brands to a growing African American middle class. “I have been blessed in so many ways,” Douglas said. XG Summer 2011
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According to the U.S. Olympic Committee, Douglas is the fourth-oldest living U.S. track and field Olympic medalist. Three other medalists from the 1948 U.S. team — sprinter Cliff Bourland and shot-putters Jim Delaney and Wilbur Thompson — are older. Continued
Herbert Douglas, Jr.: 1948 Olympic track medalist and businessman Herbert Douglas, Jr. beams a wide smile after receiving his honorary doctorate in humane letters from President Norman Francis.