A Hero was Born

Jesse was born into the Owens’ family as the 10th child to parents Henry and Emma (1). He was born on September 12, 1913, to the name of James Cleveland Owens (1). He became “Jesse” after his elementary school teacher misinterpreted his initials 'J.C.' because of his southern accent. He would be known as Jesse for the rest of his life. (2).

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While attending Fairmount Junior High School, Owens met Charles Riley, his physical educator and coach (1). He is considered to have one of the largest impacts of any individual on the life and career of Jesse Owens (1).
After junior high, Owens began dominating the track at East Technical High School (1). At the young age of 19, he ran a blistering time of 9.4 seconds for 100 yards, which tied the current world record (2). He also broke many high school records, including the long jump where he recording a 24 feet, 3 ¾ inch jump, more then 3 inches longer then the previous record (1).

References

1. Baker, W.J. (1986). Jesse Owens: An American life. New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.
2. Hart-Davis, D. (1986). Hitler’s Games: The 1936 Olympics. (1st ed.). New York:
Harper & Row Publishers.
3. Wendel, J. (2009). Jesse Owens: Olympic Legend. Retrieved November, 10th, 2009
http://www.jesseowens.com/photos/

Go Buckeyes!

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Jesse Owens, of the Ohio State Buckeyes, was known to many as the "Buckeye Bullet". He was one of the fastest collegiate athletes in the world, but was not awarded a scholarship by the team (3).

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His Collegiate career consisted of numerous achievements. Here are 2 well noted acts of excellence:
8 Individual NCAA titles over his career as a buckeye (1).
"45 minutes"- The most incredible 3/4 of an hour in track and field history, where Owens set 3 world records, and tying a 4th within this short time period!
The three records came in the long jump, 220 yard sprint, and the 220 yard low hurdle. He tied the record of 9.4 seconds in the always exciting 100yard dash (1)!

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References

1. Baker, W.J. (1986). Jesse Owens: An American life. New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.

2. Hart-Davis, D. (1986). Hitler’s Games: The 1936 Olympics. (1st ed.). New York: Harper & Row Publishers.

3. Mandell, R.D. (1971). The Nazi Olympics. New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company.

4. Wendel, J. (2009). Jesse Owens: Olympic Legend. Retrieved November, 10th, 2009
http://www.jesseowens.com/photos/

Owens and the Nazi Games

The 1936 Nazi games held in Berlin, Germany is the place where Jesse Owens truly became a hero.


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In the presence of Hitler and his Aryan race, Owens captured gold in 4 events, including the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and the long jump (2). During these 4 victories, Owens tied the record for the 100m sprint, while setting new records in the 200m, 4x100m, and long jump (3).

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Here are some more photos which capture the overall atmosphere at the 1936 Olympic Games:

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References

1. Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics. Retrieved November 13th, 2009
http://funnytogo.com/pictures/berlin1936/olympics.htm
2. Kruger, A., & Murray, W. (2003). The Nazi Olympics: Sport, politics and appeasement
in the 1930s. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.
3. Mandell, R.D. (1971). The Nazi Olympics. New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company.
4. Wendel, J. (2009). Jesse Owens: Olympic Legend. Retrieved November, 10th, 2009
http://www.jesseowens.com/photos/

Life After Berlin

Owens’ life after the Olympics was characterized by chasing profitable media offers back in the U.S (1). He found that money could be made at a higher rate in areas such as movies and night clubs (1).


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Owens travelled excessively after the Olympics in order to make money in the public eye, away from the running scene. These decisions ultimately cost him his amateur status, removing him from competition (1).
His move away from athletics caused him to become an entertainer, racing other athletes, sprinting at halftimes of sports events, and racing horses as a spectacle (1).
Owens jumped form job to job trying to provide for his wife and children, while stating that he was returning to Ohio State to finish his degree (1).
During this time, he operated a dry cleaning business, and helped out coaching the track team in order to pay for his tuition and family (1).
In 1973, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for the U.S Olympic committee, and was a heavy campaigner for athletic funding for training and equipment (1).
Jesse Owens past away after battling with lung cancer, ultimately caused by his lifelong habit of smoking On March 31st, 1980 (1).



References

1. Baker, W.J. (1986). Jesse Owens: An American life. New York, N.Y.: The Free Press.
2. The Jesse Owens Foundation: On the starting blocks (1999-2000). Retrieved
November 14, 2009 http://www.jesse-owens.org/jof.html