Honoring Mr. William DeHart Hubbard.

Honoring Mr. William DeHart Hubbard.

Whereas February is Black History Month, a month to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor over the course of United States history;

Whereas the 2026 Winter Olympic Games take place in Milano Cortina, Italy, during the month of February;

Whereas Mr. William DeHart Hubbard was the first African American to win an individual Olympic gold medal;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was born on November 25, 1903, in Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio to William Alexander Hubbard and Caroline Tivis;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a longtime resident of Cincinnati, Ohio;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was revered throughout Cincinnati from a very young age for both character and athletic achievements;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard attended Walnut Hills High School and received high grades;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard performed at a collegiate level in track and field while attending high school;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard overcame various barriers fueled by racism to attend the University of Michigan;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard earned a scholarship from the Cincinnati Enquirer through a campaign that demonstrated his exceptional perseverance, remarkable work ethic, and unique ability to bring individuals together;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was the first African-American varsity track letterman at the University of Michigan;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a 3-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion, winning in 1923 for the outdoor long jump and in 1925 for the outdoor long jump and the 100-yard dash;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was an 8-time Amateur Athletic Union champion, winning in 1922 and 1923 for both the triple jump and the long jump and in 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927, for the long jump;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a 7-time Big Ten Conference champion, winning in 1923 for the indoor 50-yard dash and the outdoor long jump, in 1924 for the outdoor long jump and the outdoor 100-yard dash, and in 1925 for the indoor 50-yard dash, the outdoor long jump, and the 100-yard dash;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard—

(1) held the University of Michigan team record for the outdoor long jump from 1925 until 1980;

(2) maintains the second-place record at the University of Michigan for the outdoor long jump;

(3) held the Big Ten Championships record for the outdoor long jump from 1925 until 1935; and

(4) set the world record for the outdoor long jump at the 1925 NCAA Championships and held such record from 1925 until 1935;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard tied a previously set world record for—

(1) the indoor 60-yard dash at a meet versus Cornell University; and

(2) the outdoor 100-yard dash at the 1925 NCAA Championships;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard qualified to compete at the collegiate level for events that he did not specialize in, such as hurdles;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard graduated from the University of Michigan with honors in 1927;

Whereas out of nearly 300 athletes selected to represent the United States in the 1924 Paris Olympics, Mr. DeHart Hubbard was 1 of 4 African-American athletes;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was determined to make history at the 1924 Paris Olympics despite the racism he experienced in the United States and Paris;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard aptly claimed in a letter to family that he would make history and be the “first colored Olympic champion”;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard experienced racial segregation on his journey to the 1924 Paris Olympics, as African-American athletes were forced to stay in the bow of the boat while traveling to Paris;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made efforts to connect with the other athletes despite such segregation and formed close bonds with such athletes;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard faced racial discrimination upon arriving in Paris and for the duration of the 1924 Paris Olympics;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard qualified for several Olympic events but was refused entry into certain events by Olympic officials on the basis of his race;

Whereas Olympic officials limited Mr. DeHart Hubbard to competing in the long jump and the triple jump;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made history by becoming the first African American to win an individual gold medal in the modern Olympic games;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard earned individual Olympic gold medals in track and field events while overcoming injuries and experiencing pervasive racism during the competition;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was elected to the National Track Hall of Fame in 1957;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1979;

Whereas Mr. Dehart Hubbard was inducted into the Ohio Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1985;

Whereas the track and field complex at Walnut Hills High School has been dedicated in honor of Mr. DeHart Hubbard;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as the supervisor of the Department of Colored Work for the Public Recreation Commission of Cincinnati from 1927 until 1941;

Whereas the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Phi Chapter at the University of Michigan has established a scholarship fund in honor of the groundbreaking achievements of Mr. DeHart Hubbard;

Whereas the commitment of Mr. DeHart Hubbard to the advancement of African Americans in sports continued beyond his Olympic career;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as President of the National Bowling Association and in such role promoted professional African-American bowlers at a time when the American Bowling Congress was deeply segregated;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a professional African-American baseball team in Cincinnati that competed in the Indiana-Ohio League, the Negro Southern League, and the Negro American League;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as the manager of Valley Homes, a housing project in Lincoln Heights, Ohio built for employees contributing to the war effort during World War II and the only such housing project available to African Americans;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as a race relations adviser for the Federal Housing Authority from 1942 until his retirement in 1969;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard dedicated his life to ensuring every American has the opportunity to achieve their dreams;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard called upon community leaders to join his efforts to afford equal opportunity for all individuals, stating that “we must create an opportunity society”; and

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made remarkable accomplishments in athletics and in service to community: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors Mr. William DeHart Hubbard.