2023 House Resolution 121

Whereas, American history is full of extraordinary individuals who break barriers and strive for greatness, whose accomplishments should be recognized; and

Whereas, William DeHart Hubbard was born on November 25th, 1903, in Cincinnati, Ohio, son of the late William Alexander Hubbard and the late Caroline Hubbard; and

Whereas, William DeHart Hubbard was an outstanding student and athlete at Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he starred on the school’s track and field team, as well as the football team, and was known as a person of dignity and honor; and

Whereas, At the time, sports teams were divided by race and as an African American, some questioned Hubbard’s eligibility to play in his school’s sports conference and instead of letting Hubbard be expelled from the team, his teammates rallied behind him, supported his eligibility and ended up withdrawing from competition that academic year, allowing Hubbard to focus on track and field competitions, which ended bringing him to the University of Michigan; and

Whereas, William DeHart Hubbard started his track and field career at the University of Michigan in 1922, he competed in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) as a freshman because he was not allowed to compete in varsity competitions; and

Whereas, In his freshman year of college, William won first overall in the triple jump and long jump AAU events, which qualified him to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity competitions the next academic year; and

Whereas, In his sophomore year of college, William DeHart Hubbard competed in the NCAA in the long jump competition, where he placed first overall, he also competed in various AAU events and place first in the triple jump and long jump; and

Whereas, In 1924, William DeHart Hubbard competed in the Paris Summer Olympics in the long jump event, where he leapt 24.43 feet, awarding him the gold medal in that event; and

Whereas, When William DeHart Hubbard left for the Olympics, he sent his family a letter say that he would be the first African American champion and when he returned home, he was exactly that, the first African American man to win a gold medal in any individual event in the Olympics; and

Whereas, His athletic record continued to grow when he returned to the University of Michigan and during his junior year, on June 13th, 1925, William DeHart Hubbard set a world record in the long jump event at the NCAA competition in Chicago, Illinois, having jumped 25.10 feet; and

Whereas, Later that month, Hubbard tied the world record in the 100-yard dash, completing the event in 9.8 seconds, securing him the win against the Ohio State University at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and

Whereas, During his senior year, Hubbard competed in the Amateur Athletic Union championship, where he placed first in the long jump competition yet again; and

Whereas, Upon his graduation from the University of Michigan, Hubbard was a National Collegiate Athletic Association “All American Champion,” a seven-time track and field Big Ten Conference Champion, and was an accomplished student, after graduating from the University of Michigan with full honors; and

Whereas, Hubbard’s passion for sports continued after his undergraduate years. In 1934, he founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a professional baseball team that competed in the Negro Southern League and the Negro American League. He was an avid bowler and in 1956, Hubbard became the ninth president of the National Bowling Association; and

Whereas, William DeHart Hubbard made a serious impact on the athletic world and on the University of Michigan’s community. In 1957, he was voted into the National Track Hall of Fame and in 1979 he was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Fame, and in 2010, The University of Michigan endowed The William DeHart Hubbard Memorial Scholarship; and

Whereas, June 15th, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the 1923 NCAA Track and Field Championships at Stagg Field in Chicago, in which William DeHart Hubbard competed in the final event of the inaugural year of his athletic career at the University of Michigan and set the NCAA record in the broad jump with a distance of 25 feet, 2 inches; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative declare June 15, 2023, as William DeHart Hubbard Day in the state of Michigan. We honor the 100th anniversary of William DeHart Hubbard’s athletic career at the University of Michigan and recognize his accomplishments in sports, including being the first African American man to win a gold medal in any individual event in the Olympics. We honor his life as a trailblazer and example in Michigan, the United States, and the world. We encourage educators in our state to introduce their students to the impactful accomplishments of Mr. Hubbard.