▁field ▁ath lete ▁who ▁competed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁Summer ▁Olympics . ▁ ▁An ▁inspir ational ▁African - American ▁ath lete , ▁D rew ▁was ▁once ▁considered ▁the ▁" world ’ s ▁fast est ▁man ", ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁great ▁black ▁spr inter , ▁and ▁went ▁from ▁being ▁an ▁Olympic ▁track ▁ath lete ▁to ▁serving ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁to ▁becoming ▁a ▁judge ▁in ▁Hart ford , ▁Connecticut ▁later ▁in ▁life . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Lex ington , ▁Virginia , ▁Howard ▁D rew ▁and ▁his ▁family ▁settled ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Massachusetts , ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁Bapt ist ▁minister , ▁and ▁both ▁parents ▁agreed ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁to ▁raise ▁Howard ▁in ▁the ▁Jim ▁Crow ▁south . ▁ ▁A ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁Spring field ▁( Cent ral ) ▁High ▁School , ▁D rew ▁showed ▁exception al ▁athlet ic ▁ab ilities ▁even ▁upon ▁entering ▁high ▁school . ▁Kn own ▁for ▁winning ▁track ▁meets — reg ard less ▁of ▁sport ing ▁app arel — he ▁soon ▁became ▁recognized ▁nation ally , ▁later ▁setting ▁world ▁records ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 , ▁ 1 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 2 0 ▁yard ▁dash . ▁In ▁his ▁early ▁years ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁it ▁had ▁“ be en ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁often ▁rac ed ▁the ▁horses ▁going ▁to ▁a ▁fire , ▁since ▁few ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁would ▁comp ete ▁with ▁him ” ▁( D av is - H arr is ). ▁