Edward Gourdin Explained

Birth Date:August 10, 1897
Birth Place:Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Death Date:July 22, 1966 (aged 68)
Death Place:Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
Height:1.83m (06feet)
Weight:79kg (174lb)
Sport:Athletics
Event:Long jump
Club:Dorchester Club
Pb:7.69 m (1921)
Alma Mater:Harvard University
Show-Medals:yes

Edward Orval "Ned" Gourdin (August 10, 1897 – July 22, 1966) was an American athlete and jurist.[1] He was the first man in history to make 25 feet in the long jump[2] and the first African-American and the first self-identified Native American (Seminole descent) to be appointed a Superior Court judge in New England.[3] [4]

He won the silver medal in the long jump at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[5] Following his return from the Olympics, Gourdin was admitted to the bar. He left his law practice in 1935 to serve as Assistant United States Attorney from Massachusetts. In 1951 he was appointed to the Roxbury District Court.[6] On July 22, 1958, he was appointed by governor Foster Furcolo to serve on the Massachusetts Superior Court, the Commonwealth's second highest court.[3] [4] He remained on the court until his death on July 22, 1966.Gourdin attended Harvard University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[2] [7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Edward Gourdin . Olympedia . 1 October 2021.
  2. News: Amy . Dean . Edward Gourdin: Olympic silver medalist, but a man of firsts . B.U. Bridge . . . 2002-02-12 . 2008-10-27.
  3. News: A New Superior Court Justice . . July 22, 1958 .
  4. John H. . Johnson. August 7, 1958 . Jet . 14. 14 . 5 . Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. . Chicago, Illinois.
  5. Web site: Olympic Medal Winners . olympic.org . 2004-10-24.
  6. News: Harold L. Vaughn . Thousands Attend Rites For Gourdin . . August 2, 1966 . 2010-04-12 .
  7. Book: Brown, Tamara L. . Gregory Parks . Clarenda M. Phillips. African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision . 2005 . University Press of Kentucky . . 0-8131-2344-5 . 256 .