3
GOLD
0
SILVER
0
BRONZE
Athlete Bio#
Age
Died (Aged 74)
1934-2009
Hometown
Barberton, OH
Education
Barberton High School (Barberton, Ohio) Ohio State University
Quick Facts
- One of 10 siblings
- Nicknamed “Jeep”
- Attended Barberton High School where he excelled at football and track
- All-American in track and field at Ohio State University
- Ran his first 400-meter hurdles in 1956, winning the Amateur Athletic Union national championship in the event that same year
- Led the U.S. podium sweep of the 400 hurdles at the Olympic Games Melbourne 1956
- Received the James E. Sullivan Award as the country’s most outstanding amateur athlete in 1958
- Played wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in 1960 and 1961 despite not having played college football
- Coached track at Cornell University
- Taught and coached at Barberton High School
- Ran Jeep’s Olympic Driving School in Barberton, drawing on his lifelong nickname
- Father to three children, Glenn Jr., Timothy and Jennifer.
Olympic Experience
- 2-time Olympian; 3-time Olympic medalist (3 gold)
- Olympic Games Rome 1960, gold (4 x 400m Relay - Men, 400m Hurdles - Men)
- Olympic Games Melbourne 1956, gold (400m Hurdles - Men)
Hall Of Fame Bio #
Glenn Ashby “Jeep” Davis won three Olympic gold medals as a sprinter and hurdler and was known for being one of the track and field stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Wellsburg, West Virginia, Davis became an orphan at age 15 as one of 10 children. Davis received a track scholarship to Ohio State University where he became an All-American and four-time NCAA champion. Davis won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games Melbourne 1956, while also setting an Olympic record. Four years later, he won two more gold medals at the Rome 1960 Games, in the 400 hurdles and the 4x400 relay. Davis briefly played professional football as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, then became the track coach for Cornell University upon retiring from sports. He passed away on Jan. 28, 2009 in Barberton, Ohio, due to pulmonary fibrosis.
