Woodrow Wilson Woolwine "Woody" Strode was a decathlete and football star who went on to become a pioneering African American film actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor for his role in Spartacus in 1960. He served in the US Army during World War II. Strode was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended college at UCLA, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. His world-class decathlon capabilities were spearheaded by a 50 ft plus shot put and a 6 ft 4 in high jump . Strode posed for a nude portrait, part of Hubert... Stowitts's acclaimed exhibition of athletic portraits shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics . Strode, Kenny Washington and Jackie Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. Along with Ray Bartlett, there were four African-Americans playing for the Bruins, when only a few dozen at all played on other college football teams.
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