Olympian Dave Bolen, who was fourth in the 400m at the 1948 Games in London, died Dec. 10 at age 98. At his death, Bolen was the second-oldest living U.S. track and field Olympian. After starting college at Southern University in Louisiana, Bolen enlisted in the Army in 1943 and then attended the University of Colorado after World War II, earning an MBA from the Boulder school in 1950. At the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials, he was second in the 400m behind Mal Whitfield, clocking 47.0 to earn an Olympic berth. He also won the AAU indoor 600y title in 1948 and 1949 and added NCAA outdoor runner-up efforts for Colorado in 1946 and 1947. Following his retirement from competition, Bolen embarked on a lengthy career in foreign relations, serving as the U.S. ambassador to Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland in 1974. In 1977, he became the first African American to be named ambassador to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Bolen also served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs and worked to free Nelson Mandela from prison. In 2000, Bolen was inducted into the University of Colorado's Hall of Fame and was recognized as a distinguished alumnus. He established the David Bolen Olympic Award and Scholarship at CU after returning from the 1948 Olympics, assisting students majoring in business, science or engineering who competed in the most recent Olympic Games. Photo credit: Colorado Buffaloes.