Born January 5, 1921, Salinas, Calif.

World War II deprived Harold Davis of the international recognition that should have been his. During the early 1940s, Davis rightfully held the title "World's Fastest Human" and two of his coaches during that time were fellow Hall of Famers Bud Winter and Brutus Hamilton.

In 1941, Davis tied Jesse Owens' world 100-meter dash record of 10.2, winning just about every major national sprint title during a four-year period. Three times, he won the AAU 100 title and he was a four-time champion in the AAU 200. While attending the University of California, Davis won the national collegiate 100 and 220 titles in 1942 and 1943. An extremely fast finisher, the 220 was his best distance and the only important race he ever lost came in the 1941 AAU 100 meters when Barney Ewell, another Hall of Fame member, was the victor.