Willie Davenport
An Olympic hurdling champion who later broke barriers as a Black athlete in the winter sport of bobsled.
1943–2002 (age 59)·American athlete and bobsledder·Birthday: June 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Willie Davenport possessed a blistering speed that made him one of America's premier high hurdlers. The Louisiana native burst onto the Olympic scene in 1964, but it was in 1968 in Mexico City where he struck gold, mastering the high-altitude conditions to win the 110-meter hurdles. His career was a testament to resilience; he captured bronze in 1976 and, after overcoming a serious injury, made his fourth Olympic team in 1980. Davenport's athletic story took an extraordinary turn after his track career. He leveraged his explosive power into a new discipline, making the U.S. Olympic bobsled team as a push athlete for the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid. This move made him just the third athlete to compete in both Summer and Winter Olympics at the time. He later served as a coach and administrator, helping to shape future generations of track and field stars.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Willie was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Willie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Willie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Died at 59
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
- Earned a bronze medal in the same event at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
- Competed in the four-man bobsled event at the 1980 Winter Olympics, achieving a rare Summer/Winter Games crossover.
Did You Know?
He served as the head coach for the U.S. men's track and field team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
He was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1982.
His Olympic bobsled debut came just weeks after he learned the sport.
“You have to be a little crazy to run the hurdles, and even crazier to try the bobsled.”
