H.Res. 1083

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1083 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1083

Honoring Mr. William DeHart Hubbard.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 25, 2026

Mr. Landsman (for himself, Ms. Brown, Mrs. Dingell, and Ms. Kaptur) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Honoring Mr. William DeHart Hubbard.

Whereas February is Black History Month, a month to honor the too-often 
neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor 
over the course of United States history;
Whereas the 2026 Winter Olympic Games take place in Milano Cortina, Italy, 
during the month of February;
Whereas Mr. William DeHart Hubbard was the first African American to win an 
individual Olympic gold medal;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was born on November 25, 1903, in Walnut Hills, 
Cincinnati, Ohio to William Alexander Hubbard and Caroline Tivis;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a longtime resident of Cincinnati, Ohio;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was revered throughout Cincinnati from a very young 
age for both character and athletic achievements;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard attended Walnut Hills High School and received high 
grades;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard performed at a collegiate level in track and field 
while attending high school;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard overcame various barriers fueled by racism to attend 
the University of Michigan;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard earned a scholarship from the Cincinnati Enquirer 
through a campaign that demonstrated his exceptional perseverance, 
remarkable work ethic, and unique ability to bring individuals together;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was the first African-American varsity track 
letterman at the University of Michigan;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a 3-time National Collegiate Athletic Association 
(NCAA) champion, winning in 1923 for the outdoor long jump and in 1925 
for the outdoor long jump and the 100-yard dash;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was an 8-time Amateur Athletic Union champion, 
winning in 1922 and 1923 for both the triple jump and the long jump and 
in 1924, 1925, 1926, and 1927, for the long jump;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was a 7-time Big Ten Conference champion, winning in 
1923 for the indoor 50-yard dash and the outdoor long jump, in 1924 for 
the outdoor long jump and the outdoor 100-yard dash, and in 1925 for the 
indoor 50-yard dash, the outdoor long jump, and the 100-yard dash;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard--

(1) held the University of Michigan team record for the outdoor long 
jump from 1925 until 1980;

(2) maintains the second-place record at the University of Michigan for 
the outdoor long jump;

(3) held the Big Ten Championships record for the outdoor long jump 
from 1925 until 1935; and

(4) set the world record for the outdoor long jump at the 1925 NCAA 
Championships and held such record from 1925 until 1935;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard tied a previously set world record for--

(1) the indoor 60-yard dash at a meet versus Cornell University; and

(2) the outdoor 100-yard dash at the 1925 NCAA Championships;

Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard qualified to compete at the collegiate level for 
events that he did not specialize in, such as hurdles;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard graduated from the University of Michigan with honors 
in 1927;
Whereas out of nearly 300 athletes selected to represent the United States in 
the 1924 Paris Olympics, Mr. DeHart Hubbard was 1 of 4 African-American 
athletes;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was determined to make history at the 1924 Paris 
Olympics despite the racism he experienced in the United States and 
Paris;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard aptly claimed in a letter to family that he would 
make history and be the ``first colored Olympic champion'';
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard experienced racial segregation on his journey to the 
1924 Paris Olympics, as African-American athletes were forced to stay in 
the bow of the boat while traveling to Paris;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made efforts to connect with the other athletes 
despite such segregation and formed close bonds with such athletes;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard faced racial discrimination upon arriving in Paris 
and for the duration of the 1924 Paris Olympics;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard qualified for several Olympic events but was refused 
entry into certain events by Olympic officials on the basis of his race;
Whereas Olympic officials limited Mr. DeHart Hubbard to competing in the long 
jump and the triple jump;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made history by becoming the first African American 
to win an individual gold medal in the modern Olympic games;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard earned individual Olympic gold medals in track and 
field events while overcoming injuries and experiencing pervasive racism 
during the competition;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was elected to the National Track Hall of Fame in 
1957;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard was posthumously inducted into the University of 
Michigan Hall of Honor in 1979;
Whereas Mr. Dehart Hubbard was inducted into the Ohio Track and Field Hall of 
Fame in 1985;
Whereas the track and field complex at Walnut Hills High School has been 
dedicated in honor of Mr. DeHart Hubbard;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as the supervisor of the Department of Colored 
Work for the Public Recreation Commission of Cincinnati from 1927 until 
1941;
Whereas the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, Phi Chapter at the 
University of Michigan has established a scholarship fund in honor of 
the groundbreaking achievements of Mr. DeHart Hubbard;
Whereas the commitment of Mr. DeHart Hubbard to the advancement of African 
Americans in sports continued beyond his Olympic career;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as President of the National Bowling 
Association and in such role promoted professional African-American 
bowlers at a time when the American Bowling Congress was deeply 
segregated;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard founded the Cincinnati Tigers, a professional 
African-American baseball team in Cincinnati that competed in the 
Indiana-Ohio League, the Negro Southern League, and the Negro American 
League;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as the manager of Valley Homes, a housing 
project in Lincoln Heights, Ohio built for employees contributing to the 
war effort during World War II and the only such housing project 
available to African Americans;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard served as a race relations adviser for the Federal 
Housing Authority from 1942 until his retirement in 1969;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard dedicated his life to ensuring every American has the 
opportunity to achieve their dreams;
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard called upon community leaders to join his efforts to 
afford equal opportunity for all individuals, stating that ``we must 
create an opportunity society''; and
Whereas Mr. DeHart Hubbard made remarkable accomplishments in athletics and in 
service to community: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors Mr. William 
DeHart Hubbard.
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