Black History Month Spotlight: John Davis
02/13/2020
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their role in U.S. history. This week we are commemorating another valuable AAU member, John Davis.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their role in U.S. history. This week we are commemorating another valuable AAU member, John Davis.
Davis was an American heavyweight weightlifter and a AAU Alumni. He was known as the most dominated athlete of his generation and was undefeated in competition between 1938 and 1953. Davis claimed two Olympic, eight World and 12 National titles. He also set 16 world records- seven in snatch, four in clean and jerk, two in the press and three in total.
His prominence began when Davis won the World Weightlifting Championships Light heavyweight crown as a 17-year-old in Vienna, Austria. From there he became the first man in history to break the 400-pound barrier by lifting 402 pounds in the clean and jerk.
Davis also was a hero beyond the gym. During the height of World War II, the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled, Davis enlisted in the United States Army. He served nearly four years, stationed in the South Pacific.
For all of Davis’ hard work and dedication, the sport of weightlifting is not a glamorous one.
“You know, I won my first world championship in 1938, 10 years ago, when I was 17,” Davis said in a 1948 interview that later was recounted in Sports Illustrated. “Since then, I’ve won two more world championships and seven national titles, and I’ve been undefeated in 10 years. But outside of weightlifting, I don’t think 15 people ever heard of me.”
However, the Amateur Athletic Union had heard of him, and recognized Davis as one of the top amateur athletes in the nation when they named him as a finalist for the 22nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award in 1951.
In 1989, Davis was also inducted to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
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The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been given out since 1930 to the nation’s best amateur athlete. The award salutes the founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award goes beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.
On April 21, 2020, the AAU will crown the 90th recipient of this prestigious award during a ceremony at the historic New York Athletic Club.
For more information on the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, visit aausullivan.org.
Davis was an American heavyweight weightlifter and a AAU Alumni. He was known as the most dominated athlete of his generation and was undefeated in competition between 1938 and 1953. Davis claimed two Olympic, eight World and 12 National titles. He also set 16 world records- seven in snatch, four in clean and jerk, two in the press and three in total.
His prominence began when Davis won the World Weightlifting Championships Light heavyweight crown as a 17-year-old in Vienna, Austria. From there he became the first man in history to break the 400-pound barrier by lifting 402 pounds in the clean and jerk.
Davis also was a hero beyond the gym. During the height of World War II, the 1940 and 1944 Olympics were cancelled, Davis enlisted in the United States Army. He served nearly four years, stationed in the South Pacific.
For all of Davis’ hard work and dedication, the sport of weightlifting is not a glamorous one.
“You know, I won my first world championship in 1938, 10 years ago, when I was 17,” Davis said in a 1948 interview that later was recounted in Sports Illustrated. “Since then, I’ve won two more world championships and seven national titles, and I’ve been undefeated in 10 years. But outside of weightlifting, I don’t think 15 people ever heard of me.”
However, the Amateur Athletic Union had heard of him, and recognized Davis as one of the top amateur athletes in the nation when they named him as a finalist for the 22nd AAU James E. Sullivan Award in 1951.
In 1989, Davis was also inducted to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
###
The AAU James E. Sullivan Award has been given out since 1930 to the nation’s best amateur athlete. The award salutes the founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award goes beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.
On April 21, 2020, the AAU will crown the 90th recipient of this prestigious award during a ceremony at the historic New York Athletic Club.
For more information on the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, visit aausullivan.org.
