Vol. 2 No. 65 Jack Davis Passes R.I.P.

Bitter irony that another great athlete has passed away.  Jack Davis, runner up to Harrison Dillard (Helsinki 1952)  and Lee Calhoun (Melbourne 1956) has passed away the same day that his picture was placed on the blog in the article previous to this posting.

Olympian and USC Alum Jack Davis Dies

Jack Davis was part of the group that worked hard to get the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

By Steven Covelman, Jim Laslavic and R. Stickney

|  Thursday, Jul 26, 2012  |  Updated 11:34 AM PDT

AP

American athletes show their medals after a sweeping victory in the 110-meter hurdles in the finals of Olympic competition in Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 28, 1956. From left are: Joel Shankle who finished third; the winner, Lee Calhoun and Jack Davis who came in second.

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Funeral services for two-time Olympic silver medalist Jack Davis, who died Friday, will be held Thursday.

The champion hurdler who barely missed out on gold medals at the 1952 Games in Helsinki and the 1956 Games in Melbourne was 81. Both races ended in photo finishes.

The graduate of USC and Hoover High School in Glendale died at a San Diego hospital from complications of a fall, his family told the Los Angeles Times.

At Hoover, Davis was a champion hurdler and long jumper. Well liked by his peers, he was elected the school's student body president.

Continuing his track and field career at USC, Davis took home three championships in the 120-yard hurdles and one in the 220-yard hurdles. 

While Davis was there, from 1951 to 1953, the Trojans won three NCAA titles.

Helsinki with Harrison Dillard and Art Barnard

He graduated from USC with a degree in education and was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

After finishing his decorated athletic career, Davis became a successful real estate developer.

                                                 Jack Running against Rafer Johnson

                                                     Dillard and Davis at Helsinki

Davis was part of the group that worked hard to get the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, the first facility devoted to the development and performance of future Olympians and Paralympians.

His family has requested that donations be made for athletic scholarships in his memory for future USC athletes.