Josh Culbreath facts for kids
Culbreath (center) with Gen. James T. Conway (left) and SgtMaj Carlton Kent (right) accepts his induction into the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.
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| Full name | Joshua Culbreath | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 14, 1932 Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died | July 1, 2021 (aged 88) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and field | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 m hurdles | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Morgan State College (1952–1955) United States Marine Corps (1956–1958) |
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Medal record
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Joshua Culbreath (born September 14, 1932 – died July 1, 2021) was an American athlete. He was best known for competing in the 400 meter hurdles. Josh was the national champion in this event from 1953 to 1955. He also won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympic Games. In 1957, he even set a world record. Later, in 2008, Culbreath was honored by being inducted into the United States Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame.
Early Life and Education
Josh Culbreath was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on September 14, 1932. He started running hurdles when he was in high school. In 1951, he was ranked second in the U.S. for the 200-yard low hurdles. He also became Pennsylvania's state high school champion in that event.
In 1955, Culbreath earned a degree in political science from Morgan State College. While there, he became the USA Outdoor champion in the 400m hurdles for three years in a row. These years were 1953, 1954, and 1955. He also won the same event three times at the Penn Relays. This was a very impressive achievement. Later, Josh earned another degree in education from Temple University.
Athletic and Coaching Career
Culbreath served in the United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1958. During this time, he represented the United States at the 1956 Summer Olympics. These games were held in Melbourne, Australia. He won a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles. He also won several medals in military and NATO track and field competitions.
Josh Culbreath set world records in hurdles in both 1956 and 1957. One record was for the 300-yard Oval Grass Track in Bendigo, Australia, in 1956. The other was for the 440-yard hurdles in Oslo, Norway, in 1957.
After his running career, Culbreath became a successful track and field coach. In 1988, he started coaching at Central State University. He led his team to win ten NAIA championships. Four of his athletes even competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. One of them, Deon Hemmings, won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles. After coaching at Central State, he became the athletic director at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
Personal Life and Legacy
Josh Culbreath had five children: Sandra, Khaliq, Maliq, Jahan, and Camille. His son, Jahan, followed in his father's footsteps. Jahan became an All-American 400m hurdler. He also became a coach at Central State, just like his dad. Sadly, one of his sons, Khaliq, passed away before him.
Josh also made two guest appearances on the TV show The Cosby Show. He played a character named Colonel Sanford B. "Tailwind" Turner. This character was Cliff Huxtable's college track rival.
Josh Culbreath passed away on July 1, 2021, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was 88 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Joshua Culbreath para niños
- Edwin Moses, 1976 and 1984 American 400m hurdles Olympic gold medalist
