Joshua Culbreath 1932–2021 Olympic Bronze Medalist, World Record Holder, Track & Field Coach, Educator, U.S. Marine Corps
By Aaron Williams
J oshua Culbreath was a three-time Penn Relays champion, three-time American outdoor champion in 400-meter hurdles, and two-time Pan-American Games champion in the 440-yard hurdles. He also ran the anchor leg on Morgan's one-mile relay team, winning several indoor and outdoor championships. Culbreath was an all-American national hurdling cham- pion at Morgan State University. He was also the first U.S. Marine serving in active duty to participate in an Olympic Games. Joshua "Josh" Culbreath (Alpha Iota 1952), an Olympic Bronze Medal- ist, entered the Chapter Invisible on July 1, 2021, at 88. Morgan State Univer- sity and Central State (OH) University posted condolences recognizing the passing of Culbreath on Twitter. Culbreath was a star hurler star at Norristown (PA) High School, where he rated as second in the United States in the 220-yard low hurdles and captured the PIAA state championship in that event. Culbreath won the Penn Relays three times. While in high school, he played other sports, including football and basketball. His stellar performances
Culbreath graduated in 1955 from Morgan State with a B.A. degree in political science. Initially accepted into the University of Colorado Law School, Culbreath decided to join the United States Marine Corps. Culbreath served in the United States Marine Corps from 1956-58. He was a member of the United States Olympic track team. Culbreath won a bronze medal for the 400-meter hurdles in the 1956 Sum- mer Games in Melbourne, Australia, in which the American team finished 1-2-3 in the event. "When I went into the Corps, and I was American champion when I went, they (USMC) found out that I was an athlete, and they took me and put me in that training immediately. I went and represented the Marine Corps, and I won every championship." Following his Olympic experience, Culbreath won several military and NATO track and field medals. He set world records in the hurdles in the 300 yard Oval Grass Track held at Bendigo, Australia, in 1956 and in the 440-yard hurdles set in Oslo, Norway, in 1957.
earned an athletic scholarship at historic Morgan State College (now University) in Baltimore, MD. The Flying Foursome In college, Culbreath ran track for the Morgan State Bears under the legendary Hall of Fame track coach Eddie Hunt. Culbreath was a member of Morgan State's famed relay team, dubbed the "The Flying Foursome" and "the Speed Merchants" by Baltimore American sportswriter Sam Lacy. Cul- breath ran the anchor leg of the Flying Four, which was comprised of Herman Wade, Otis 'Jet' Johnson, and Dr. James Rodgers. That team won 13 national championships as well as five relay crowns at Penn Relays. The four kept their running order from sophomore year forward until graduation. Friends for life, the four teammates referred to each other by their respective order number on the relay team and would an- nually convene at the Penn Relays. All members of the Flying Foursome were inducted into the C.I.A.A. Hall of Fame in 2013.
60 | SUMMER 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
VIRTUAL 85 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
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