ALBANY, Georgia -- Alice Coachman Davis, the first African-American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal, passed away Monday at the age of 90.Albany State University released the following biographical history of one of their most famous alumni:
Olympic gold medalist and Albany State University alumnae Alice Coachman Davis passed away on Monday, July 14, 2014. She was 90 years old.
Coachman became the first African American woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal when she competed at the 1948 Olympics in London. Born November 9, 1923 in Albany, Georgia to Evelyn and Fred Coachman, Coachman was the fifth of ten children.
She first developed an interest in high jumping after watching the event at a track meet for boys. She and her friends began devising all sorts of makeshift setups to jump over, from strings and ropes to sticks and tied rags. This unorthodox training led her to adopt an unusual jumping style.
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