- Eddie Tolan
Thomas Edward "Eddie" Tolan (
September 29 ,1908 – January 30/31, 1967) [ [http://www.usatf.org/athletes/hof/tolan.asp tolan ] ] [ [http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=148&category=sports detnews.com | Michigan History ] ] was an American athlete and sprinter and winner of two gold medals at the1932 Summer Olympics .Biography
Born in
Denver, Colorado , Eddie Tolan, also anAmerican football player, wonMichigan state championships as a young man atCass Technical High School inDetroit . When he studied at theUniversity of Michigan , Tolan set a World Record of 9.5s in the 100 yd dash, which gained him instantaneous fame in his home country. That same year, he also equalled the World Record in the 100 m on numerous occasions.In 1932, by then winner of several AAU Championships, Tolan qualified for the 100 m and 200 m in the
1932 Summer Olympics .Ralph Metcalfe beat him twice in the Olympic Trials, however; the finishing order at the Games themselves was the other way round; Tolan set two Olympic Records to win both sprint events. Remarkably, neither Tolan nor Metcalfe was part of the American 4 x 100 m relay team, which nevertheless won that event in a new World Record.After the Games, Tolan quit running, although he did run in several professional races later on. Tolan had a brief career in
vaudeville , performing withBill Robinson [ [http://wwwa.britannica.com/eb/article-9002539 Eddie Tolan - Britannica Online Encyclopedia ] ] ; he later became a school teacher.He died in
Detroit, Michigan at age 58 of a heart attack.Tolan was a member of
Alpha Phi Alpha , the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans. [ [http://www.rso.cornell.edu/alpha/prominent/sports.html Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc ] ]Tolan is the uncle of former
Major League Baseball playerBobby Tolan . [http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/cheers_thursday_september_18/]ee also
*
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor References
External links
* [http://www.usatf.org/HallOfFame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=171 Tolan's entry in the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame]
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