Ralph Boston
Ralph Boston was born on this date in 1939 in Laurel, Mississippi. He is a former Black Olympic athlete, humanitarian, and businessman.
Ralph Harold Boston was the youngest of ten children. Ralph Boston earned a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, silver in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and bronze in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. His specialty was the long jump, for which he set a world record in 1960. From 1960 to 1967, Boston was ranked number one in the world in that event. He was also selected as "World Athlete of the Year" and "North American Athlete of the Year."
He was elected into the Helms Hall of Fame in Los Angeles and was the first Black to be inducted into Mississippi's Sports Hall of Fame. Boston's life in corporate and civic life mirrors his Olympic career. After leaving the Olympic sports competition in 1968, he earned his master's degree from the University of Tennessee. He was a consultant to the U.S. Olympic team and a sportscaster for ESPN before becoming a general partner in a Knoxville, Tennessee, TV station.
Boston is currently the director of customer relations for Ericsson, Inc. In 1985, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award for college athletes who have become successful in other areas. He has also been inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame and the Olympic Hall of Fame and was recently elected to the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
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