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Jack Davis

1930 – 2012

American athlete

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About Jack Davis

Lived 1930 – 2012 (aged 81). Jack Davis was an American athletics competitor.

Jack Wells Davis (September 11, 1930 – July 20, 2012) was an American track and field hurdler, silver medalist in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics over 110-meter hurdles. Davis lost to Harrison Dillard in 1952 with the same time as the winner, and lost to Lee Calhoun in 1956, again with the same time as the winner. He set a new world record 13.4 in a heat at the AAU in 1956.

Davis attended Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California, where he won both hurdle races at the 1949 CIF California State Meet, along with a third in the long jump. After that performance, he was named "Athlete of the Meet." He then went to the University of Southern California. At USC he was a three-time NCAA 120y hurdle champion and the 1953 NCAA 220y hurdle champion. He was a three-time U.S. Outdoor 220y hurdles champion, and ranked #1 on three occasions. In 2004, he was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame, and the USC Hall of Fame.

Davis served in the U.S. Navy in 1954–57, and then became a real estate developer. He helped found the United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Southern California, Herbert Hoover High School
Also known as
Jack Wells Davis

People in Jack Davis's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack Davis's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack Davis?

American athlete (1930–2012)

When was Jack Davis born?

Jack Davis was born on 11 September 1930 in Amarillo.

When did Jack Davis die?

Jack Davis died on 20 July 2012 in San Diego.

What was Jack Davis's occupation?

Jack Davis was an athletics competitor.

What nationality was Jack Davis?

Jack Davis was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack Davis

· Wikidata: Q1360238

· DBpedia: Jack Davis (hurdler)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack Davis. https://biography.guide/jack-davis-athletics-competitor/

MLA: "Jack Davis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-davis-athletics-competitor/.

Chicago: "Jack Davis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-davis-athletics-competitor/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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