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Massachusetts State Seal
Commonwealth Museum   Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin
Commonwealth Museum Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin

Soldier, Olympian, Judge: General Edward Gourdin


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“…the thunder and roar of the massed artillery shook the earth and the sky was alight with the flashes of guns. It was wondrous—it was insanity and the fever of it gripped us all…”

~ Veteran of the fighting at Bussy Farm

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General Edward Gourdin

The 372nd Infantry returned to Massachusetts at the end of World War I. The unit continued to serve as an important social organization for the state’s Black men, and many young African Americans joined its ranks during the 1920s.


372nd Rifle Team 1930s
372nd Rifle Team 1930s
One of the most remarkable soldiers to serve with the 372nd Infantry was Edward Orvil Gourdin. Born in Florida in 1897, “Ned” Gourdin moved to Massachusetts to attend Harvard University. In 1921, he achieved national recognition when he set a new world record in the long jump. He was chosen to represent the United States at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, where he won the silver medal in the long jump competition.

Returning to Massachusetts in 1925, Gourdin enlisted in the 372nd Infantry. Due to his education and natural charisma, he was quickly promoted. For the next fifteen years, Gourdin dedicated himself to the battalion’s training and professionalism. The 372nd Infantry rushed to New York City to guard important defense installations at the start of World War II.

Col. Edward O. Gourdin, Commanding Officer, 372nd Infantry - sketches by Charles Alston

Col. Edward O. . .

In 1942, Gourdin was promoted to command of the 372nd and tasked with providing basic training to African American draftees from all over the country. During the war, Gourdin’s regiment trained over 10,000 African American soldiers. More than 1,500 of Gourdin’s trainees served in the 92d Infantry Division, a segregated unit which fought in Italy. In the spring of 1945, Colonel Gourdin and the 372nd Infantry were transferred to Hawaii to begin training for the invasion of Japan. They were there when news arrived that the war had ended in August. 

The 372nd was discharged from service, and Colonel Gourdin returned to Massachusetts. After the war, Ned Gourdin resumed his law practice and continued to serve as commander of the 372nd. In 1957, Gourdin became the first African American in Massachusetts appointed as a Brigadier General. In 1951, he received an appointment as a district court judge and, in 1958, was appointed a justice on the Massachusetts Superior Court – another first for African Americans in Massachusetts. General Gourdin served on the court until his death in 1966, marking the end of a distinguished career as a scholar, officer, and jurist.