LeRoy Walker, USOC's first black chairman, dies

(CBS/AP) DURHAM, N.C. - LeRoy Walker, the first African-American to head the U.S. Olympic Committee and coach an American Olympic track and field team, has died. He was 93.

Scarborough & Hargett Funeral home says Walker died Monday in Durham. No cause of death was given.

Walker led the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1992-96, shepherding the Atlanta Games. He also coached the U.S. track team in 1976, which brought home 22 medals, including gold in the long jump, discus, decathlon, 400-meter hurdles and both men's relays.

Walker spent more than 40 years at North Carolina Central University, first as track coach, then later as chancellor of the school.

Current U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Scott Blackmun says Walker's impact on the U.S. Olympic movement and track and field will be felt for generations to come.

Walker trained dozens of All-America athletes and national and international champions, CBS affiliate WRAL reports.

"A lot of young blacks, Hispanics and other minorities can see that, if you keep plugging away and pursuing excellence, something good can happen to you," Walker said in a 1992 interview. "I've always taught my teams success is a journey, not a destination. I think it's a good message to understand."

Former WRAL News anchor Charlie Gaddy, who wrote a book about Walker in 1998, said Walker was the most remarkable person he ever met.

"(At the 1996 Olympics,) I was walking with him through the lobby of a big hotel there. It was amazing because people from Europe, Asia and South America, they all knew him," Gaddy said. "It was like walking around with a rock star."