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Edward Gourdin

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Edward Gourdin
Edward Gourdin at the 1924 Olympics
Personal information
BornAugust 10, 1897
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
DiedJuly 22, 1966 (aged 68)
Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
Alma materHarvard University
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight79 kg (174 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventLong jump
ClubDorchester Club
Achievements and titles
Personal best7.69 m (1921)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1924 Paris Long jump

Edward Orval "Ned" Gourdin (August 10, 1897 – July 22, 1966) was an American athlete and jurist.[3] He was the first man in history to make 25 feet in the long jump[4] and the first African-American and the first self-identified Native American (Seminole descent) to be appointed a Superior Court judge in New England.[5][6]

He won the silver medal in the long jump at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[7] 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.[1][8] On July 22, 1958, he was appointed by governor Foster Furcolo to serve on the Massachusetts Superior Court, the Commonwealth's second highest court.[5][6] He remained on the court until his death on July 22, 1966.

Illustration of Edward Gourdin by Charles Henry Alston

Gourdin attended Harvard University, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[4] [9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ned Gourdin. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ Edward Gourdin. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. ^ "Edward Gourdin". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Dean, Amy (2002-02-12). "Edward Gourdin: Olympic silver medalist, but a man of firsts". B.U. Bridge. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston University. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  5. ^ a b "A New Superior Court Justice". The Christian Science Monitor. July 22, 1958.
  6. ^ a b Johnson, John H., ed. (August 7, 1958). Jet. 14 (14). Chicago, Illinois: Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.: 5. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ "Olympic Medal Winners". olympic.org. Retrieved 2004-10-24.
  8. ^ Harold L. Vaughn (August 2, 1966). "Thousands Attend Rites For Gourdin". Washington Afro-American. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
  9. ^ Brown, Tamara L.; Gregory Parks; Clarenda M. Phillips (2005). African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 256. ISBN 0-8131-2344-5.