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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 28, 2025 Page 3 ‘THE MALDEN METEOR’: Louise Mae Stokes Fraser, Malden’s own and America’s First Black Woman Olympian, is remembered Honored by the Malden community, but she may have been wrongly denied her chance to compete, twice Ed. Note: Following is Part 1 of a 2-part series on one of Malden’s most renowned athletes, Louise May Stokes Fraser. This story originally appeared exclusively in the Malden Advocate in May 2020 and is reprinted today as part of our Women’s History Month coverage. Part 2 will appear in next Friday’s edition. By Steve Freker W hen she was a young girl, former U.S. Olympian Louise Mae Stokes Fraser would race against boys in her Malden neighborhood on the B&M Railroad tracks just outside of Malden Square. She beat just about every one of them. In a fitting bit of touching irony, part of that historic landmark, now known as the Northern Strand Trail, a popular walking, cycling and running path, has been named in her honor. Malden always beams with pride and excitement as a community when one of its own is recognized on a national level for excellence and achievement. It is not a common occurrence, but when it does happen, the Malden community cherishes those moments. One Malden native stands alone in local lore, however, as she attained heights of achievement that have never been matched by a Malden resident. Louise May Stokes Fraser was not only a national success story in the early to mid-1930s, but also drew international acclaim in the arena of track and field. Malden Mayor Gary Christenson honored her memory once again in early May of 2020, when he announced the city was dedicating, in her name, a running, walking and cycling Loop connecting trails that encircle the Malden River. The Loop was also BREAKING THE BARRIER: Malden’s Louise May Stokes (left) and Illinois’ Tidye Pickett (right) were the first two African-American women to ever be selected to the U.S. Olympic Team – for the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, Calif. (Courtesy Photo) en’s track and field club in December 1931, just a few months after her senior year at Malden High School. First-ever Malden resident & first Black woman selected for U.S. Olympics in 1932 Just a few months after that, WORLD RECORD SETTER: Malden’s Louise May Stokes at age 18, shown holding the winning James Michael Curley Mayor’s Cup after tying a World Record for women in the standing broad jump. (Courtesy Photo) dedicated in the name of the late Malden Court Clerk Magistrate Joseph Croken, a longtime biking enthusiast before his sudden passing in 2007. Stokes Fraser burst onto the international stage at the age of just 18, when she tied a world record in the standing broad jump event as a member of a womshe brought further international claim to her hometown when she became the first (and only) Malden resident – man or woman – ever to be named to a U.S. Olympic Team, when she was selected as a sprinter for the 1932 Olympic Games, which that year were being hosted on Los Angeles, Calif. Stokes Fraser also made history as she and teammate Tidye Pickett, an exceptional athlete from Chicago, Ill., were the first two Black women to be selected as U.S. Olympians that year. Sadly, neither Stokes Fraser nor Pickett were able to compete and represent their country in the 1932 Olympic Games – replaced at the last minute in the 4 X 100 relay event. Since the two OLYMPIAN| SEE PAGE 4

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