Blackwell's Gold Genes

Ohio SOS Ken Blackwell has Olympic genes overflowing with Gold. Blackwell's maternal Great Uncle (his mother's uncle) William DeHart Hubbard won a 1924 (Paris, France) Olympic Gold Medal in the Long Jump. Hubbard preceded Jesse Owens [1936 Munich, Germany Games] as the first African American ever to achieve Olympic Gold.

For his athletic success, Hubbard also tied a post-olympic world record in the 100 yard dash, the city of Cincinnati, the Metro, and the Federal Transit Authority worked together to design, fund, and sculp a bronze, wall relief of the Olympian.

Hubbards niece and Blackwell's mother, Dana Blackwell 74, described the wall relief as

"unbelievable. I'm happy to have him commemorated in such a way that a lot of people will see it... This public recognition is a long time coming, but I can sort of understand why it's taken so long... Back when my kids were growing up, they told their friends about their great-uncle, and nobody believed them. Well, they'll believe them now!"

Hubbard graduated from Walnut Hills High School (Cincinnait, OH). SOS Blackwell later starred as at a football star in the role of linebacker at Xavier University. He was also a one-time draftee of the Dallas Cowboys.

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