Gleen Davis was born in Follansbee. After his parents died when he was 15, he moved to Barberton (OH) to live with his brother. Davis became a track star at Ohio State. He won Olympic gold medals in the 400 meter hurdles at the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics. In 1958 he received the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation’s top amateur athletic. He was also a sprinter and won a third gold medal as a member of the U.S. 4X400 meter relay team in 1960. He is a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Davis was featured on the June 27, 1960 cover of Sports Illustrated. Following his track career, he played wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in 1960-1961.
Mayor Tony Paesano, who knew Davis’ late sister, Doris Basil, said while growing up in Follansbee, Davis was known for setting up saw horses and garbage cans in Rose Alley (now Rose Street) to practice running hurdles. On a visit to Follansbee in 1998, Davis served as the Grand Marshall in the Community Days parade. He died in 2009.
- See “TJ Hill-1954” on timeline
- See “Gleen Davis (athletic)” on Wikipedia for more information (On-line) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Davis_(athlete)
- Brooke Scene, “Follansbee native, Olympian remembered,” February 7, 2009, p. 4.