| Dave Bolen | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dave Bolen, 1979 | |
| Ambassador to East Germany | |
In office August 22, 1977 – June 20, 1980 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | John Sherman Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Herbert S. Okun |
| Ambassador to Lesotho | |
In office April 25, 1974 – August 11, 1976 | |
| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Charles J. Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Norland |
| Ambassador to Swaziland | |
In office April 22, 1974 – August 11, 1976 | |
| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Charles J. Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Norland |
| Ambassador to Botswana | |
In office April 11, 1974 – August 11, 1976 | |
| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Charles J. Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Donald R. Norland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Benjamin Bolen December 23, 1923 Heflin, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Betty L. Gayden (m. 1949) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Southern University University of Colorado Boulder Harvard University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch |  Army Air Corps
|
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
David Benjamin Bolen (born December 23, 1923) is an American track and field athlete, Olympian, diplomat and businessman.
Biography[]
Bolen competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in the 400 metres. He finished fourth in the final behind Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley and Mal Whitfield. In 2012, Bolen told The Boulder Daily Camera that "The Olympics is not something you train for. You have to have talent, world-class talent. You have to use that talent for the benefit of yourself and others."[1] Bolen first discovered that he had that talent when he raced other children during an Easter egg hunt during his childhood and found that he was faster. He later decided he wanted to use his "foot speed" to gain a college education.[2]
Bolen graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1950, and was the university's first Olympic athlete.[3] Before serving for two years in the Army Air Force in WWII,[4] he attended Southern University in New Orleans; after his service, he was recruited by CU Boulder track and field coach Frank Potts.[2]
Later, Bolen's career took him to the US State Department. In 1974, President Richard Nixon appointed him ambassador to Swaziland, Lesotho and Botswana simultaneously, while keeping residence in Gaborone. In 1977, the German-speaking Bolen was appointed by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed as US Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic. He was the first African-American to serve as ambassador to a nation behind the Iron Curtain. He served until 1980. As an ambassador to East Germany, Bolen helped to lay the groundwork for the destruction of the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989, the day the wall came down, Bolen's daughter, Cynthia, was photographed handing a long-stemmed rose to an East German border guard standing atop the wall.[5] He also worked to help free Nelson Mandela from prison.[2]
Competition record[]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  United States
| |||||
| 1948 | Olympics | London, United Kingdom | 4th | 400 m | 47.2 |
References[]
- ↑ "First CU-Boulder Olympian David Bolen: Games are 'not something you train for'". 2012-07-26. http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_21168978/first-cu-boulder-olympian-games-are-not-something.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Running Down a Dream" (in en). 2013-03-01. https://www.colorado.edu/coloradan/2013/03/01/running-down-dream.
- ↑ Bugros), McLean, Polly E. Bugros (Polly Elise (2018-09-28). Remembering Lucile : a Virginia family's rise from slavery and a legacy forged a mile high. Boulder, Colorado. ISBN 9781607328254. OCLC 1076877671.
- ↑ "David Benjamin Bolen (1923- ) • BlackPast" (in en-US). 2015-01-26. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/bolen-david-benjamin-1923/.
- ↑ "Boulder diplomat's daughter remembers Berlin Wall". 2009-11-09. http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_13750899.
- "Dave Bolen". Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bo/dave-bolen-1.html.
- http://www.blackpast.org/aah/bolen-david-benjamin-1923
- https://web.archive.org/web/20140212082044/http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/2013/03/01/running-down-dream/
- http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=920399
- http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=7770 United States Ambassador to the German Democratic Republic Nomination of David B. Bolen.
July 8, 1977
The original article can be found at Dave Bolen and the edit history here.