35TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Super Hero JESSE OWENS

Jesse Owens 

Jesse Owens won four gold medals for America in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. His long jump record stood for 25 years, and, for a time, Owens held or shared the world record for every sprint event recognized by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. 

Owens was born September 12, 1913, to a father who was an illiterate Alabama field laborer. His athletic gift came to light early when he consistently outran the local boys, though the frail Owens suffered from malnutrition. 

An amazed and sympathetic coach, Charles Riley, took Owens under his wing. Riley worked him out for 45 minutes a day before school, while Owens worked several jobs after classes. Riley's efforts paid off: As a high school senior, Owens tied the world record in the 100-yard dash and won three events in the 1933 National Interscholastic Championships in Chicago. It was the first of several astonishing track meets that would put Owens in the record books. 

The next record came on May 25, 1935, when, as a student at Ohio State University, Owens participated in a Big Ten Conference track meet at the University of Michigan. The 21-year-old tied the world record for the 100-yard dash and set new world records for the 220-yard dash, the 220-yard low hurdles, and the broad jump (as the long jump was called at that time).

His crowning moment was yet to come. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Owens won four gold medals and, before the eyes of the world, dashed Adolf Hitler's boasts of Aryan superiority. Not only did Owens win the gold, but he tied the Olympic record for the 100-meter dash and set new Olympic records for the 200-meter run and the long jump. 

The coup de grace came when Owens ran the final leg of the 400-meter relay race, in which the American team broke a world record. Hitler was so disgusted that he refused to shake Owens's hand, despite personally congratulating other Olympic winners. 

Unfortunately, though Owens was celebrated on his return to America, he was not embraced. Promised endorsements never materialized. Penniless, he hired himself out to race against horses and motorcycles. He couldn't afford to finish college and finally landed a job as a city playground worker. 

It wasn't until 1955 that America began to recognize Owens's accomplishments. The government sent him abroad as an Ambassador of Sports, and he gave speeches on patriotism and fair play. He was also named secretary of the Illinois State Athletic Commission. 

Following his death on March 31, 1980, in Arizona, Jesse Owens was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1990 and also appeared on a commemorative postage stamp.

From Great African Americans.  Copyright, Publications International, Ltd.