Poage, George (1880–1962), was the first African American athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Games . Poage won two bronze medals in the 1904 games in St. Louis for finishing third in the 220–yard (200–meter) and 440–yard (400–meter) hurdles . He also finished sixth in the 440-yard run and competed in the 66-yard (60-meter) dash.
George Coleman Poage was born on Nov. 6, 1880, in Hannibal, Missouri, but grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was a star student and athlete at La Crosse High School, ranking second in his class. In 1899, he became the first African American to graduate from the school.
Poage enrolled at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1900 and made the varsity track and field team his sophomore year. He was the first black athlete to run for the University of Wisconsin. He graduated in 1903 but returned to the school in 1903 and 1904 to take graduate courses in history. In 1904, Poage became the first African American track champion in the history of the Big Ten Conference, winning both the 220-yard hurdles and the 440-yard dash.
After competing in the 1904 Olympics, Poage taught at the all-black Charles Sumner High School in St. Louis for almost 10 years. He was head of the English department. He then spent 6 years as a farmer before joining the United States Postal Service , where he worked for 27 years. Poage died on April 11, 1962.
