Fritz Pollard Jr.
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
BornFebruary 18, 1915
DiedFebruary 14, 2003(2003-02-14) (aged 87)
Sport
SportTrack and field
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the  United States
Bronze medal – third place1936 Berlin110 meter hurdles

Fritz Pollard Jr. (February 18, 1915 – February 14, 2003) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the 110 metre hurdles.

Biography

While a student at the University of North Dakota, he was a running back for the football team. He was "picked All North Central Conference in 1937 and 1938, and was a Collier's Magazine Little All-America selection in football in 1938."[1] He also competed as a member of the university's varsity boxing team. Pollard competed for the United States in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin in the 110 meter hurdles where he won the bronze medal.[2] In 2016, the 1936 Olympic journey of the eighteen Black American athletes, including Pollard, was documented in the film Olympic Pride, American Prejudice.[3]

Pollard graduated from UND with a bachelor's degree majoring in education. He went on to earn a law degree from the John Marshall Law School (Chicago). He also served in the U.S. Army as a special services officer during World War II."[1] Some years after he war, he became a Foreign Service officer and retired in 1981 as the director of the State Department's overseas schools for US citizens.[1]

Pollard was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[4]

Pollard's father was Fritz Pollard Sr., the first African American head coach in the National Football League.[4]

He was predeceased by his daughter Cheryl Pollard and survived by his son Fritz D. Pollard III (1955-2022),[5] and two grandchildren Meredith Kaye Russell and Marcus Stephan Pollard.

References

  1. 1 2 3 University of North Dakota
  2. ↑ "Frederick Pollard Jr., 87; Medalist in 110-Meter Hurdles in '36 Olympics" Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
  3. ↑ Henderson, Odie (2016-08-05). "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice movie review (2016)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  4. 1 2 "Alpha Athletes at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany". Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Retrieved January 10, 2010.
  5. ↑ https://www.staufferfuneralhome.com/obituaries/fritz-pollard-iii

Greek bibliography: Andreou,Evangelos: "The star of champion shone..." Ed. EUARCE 2011 ("Frederick "Fritz" Pollard" p.30) Ευάγγελος Ανδρέου, Το αστέρι του πρωταθλητή άναψε... / ο βαλκανιονίκης του μεσοπολέμου Γιάννης Σκιαδάς, EUARCE 2011 ISBN 978-960-99566-0-4 ("Φρεντερίκ Πολάρντ/Frederick "Fritz" Pollard" σ.30)

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