George Poage, born November 6, 1880 in Hannibal, Missouri, is the first African-American to win a medal in the modern Olympics. He graduated from La Crosse High School in Wisconsin in 1899 as salutatorian and the school's top athlete. He was the school's first African-American graduate.
He attended the University of Wisconsin and excelled at track and field. He was the first African-American athlete to run for US, specializing in short sprints and hurdles. In June 1904, he became the first African-American individual Big Ten track champion in conference history, placing first in the 440-yard dash and the 220-yared hurdles.
Poage represented the US in the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, winning the bronze in the 200-yard and 400-yard hurdles.
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