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Archie Williams

Archie Williams
Archie Williams 1936.jpg
Archie Williams at the 1936 Olympics
Personal information
Born May 1, 1915
Oakland, California, United States
Died June 24, 1993 (aged 78)
Fairfax, California, United States
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 80 kg (180 lb)
Sport
Sport Athletics
Event(s) 200 m, 400 m
Club California Golden Bears, Berkeley
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 200 m – 21.4 (1936)
400 m – 46.1 (1936)

Archie Franklin Williams (May 1, 1915 – June 24, 1993) was an African-American U.S. Air Force officer and athlete and teacher, winner of 400 meter run at the 1936 Summer Olympics. As recorded on his birth certificate, his name is Archie and not Archibald.

Williams attended University High School in Oakland, then San Mateo Junior College (now College of San Mateo). His coach, Dr. Oliver Byrd, was instrumental in preparing him for future achievements. Soon Williams transferred to the University of California, Berkeley to become a mechanical engineer and he continued to run track.

Until 1936, Williams had never broken 49 seconds for the 440 yd (402 m). During 1936, however, Williams kept lowering his times and reached his peak at the NCAA championships, setting a world record in 400 m of 46.1. His time was set in the preliminaries and he also prevailed in the final for a 47.0 victory. He followed that up with a first in the Olympic Trials, then went to Berlin and won the Olympic gold medal in the 400 m. When asked about the infamous incident in which Adolf Hitler reportedly refused to shake the hand of black fellow gold medalist Jesse Owens, Williams replied, "Hitler wouldn't shake my hand either."

After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Archie Williams was in the first Civilian Pilot Training class in 1939 at Oakland, CA. After earning his private pilot's license, he earned his instructor rating and was later a civilian instructor at Tuskegee. Entering the service in late 1942, he was one of only 14 African-Americans who were commissioned during WW II in the aviation meteorological cadet program; Archie graduated from the UCLA program on 6 September 1943. By September 1944, he was in the first Service Pilot training class at Tuskegee and, after graduation, instructed flight cadets in instrument flying as well as teaching meteorology. After the war, he earned qualification as a line pilot and then attended the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1948–50 earning a B.S. in Engineering Sciences; he and fellow Tuskegee meteorologist Milton Hopkins were the 3rd and 4th black AF officers to attend this prestigious program. Archie Williams remained a weather officer and rated pilot his entire career, earning his command pilot rating and commanding several weather detachments before retirement from the Air Force in 1964.


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