Howard Porter Drew (June 28, 1890 – February 19, 1957) was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.
In his early years in high school it was said that he often raced the horses going to a fire, since few men in the area would compete with him (Davis-Harris).
Drew's multi-faceted life served as a powerful model for young black men, especially considering the bravery and fortitude he exemplified during his time of maturity.
Drew's career began as someone who dropped out of high school to support this family, only to return in 1910 (age 20) to begin setting track records and dominating both baseball and football opponents.
Around this time it is noted that in 1915 he was captured in the “Education Number” special of the NAACP's The Crisis, and also met Booker T. Washington—which was one of the signifying moments in defining the status of Howard Porter Drew (Coach Larry—see pdf below).
He later became the Victory Medal award-winning sergeant for the Supply Company, 809th Pioneer Infantry Regiment, and the 88th Division of the U.S. Army.
He coached Army track teams while in France and was Honorably Discharged in 1919—receiving the Victory Medal and a defensive bar for his actions and service.
Drew died at the U.S. Veterans Hospital in West Haven, Connecticut (Black Past), and he now rests just north of Hartford, near where he raised his family.