Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens used few words to sum up his running success: "I let my feet spend as little time on the ground as possible. From the air, fast down; from the ground, fast up." Plain and simple. Plain enough for him to set three world records and tie another — all in the span of 45 minutes. And simple enough for him to win four Olympic gold medals at the 1936 games in Germany. Dubbed “the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history,” Owens set the track and field world ablaze with his accomplishments in the 100 yard (at the time, the distance was measured in yards, not meters), 200 yard and long jump events throughout college and later the Olympics. At the Olympics, Owens was under increased pressure. He performed in front of and on the home turf German ruler Adolph Hitler, who claimed that “people whose antecedents came from the jungle were primitive, their physiques were stronger than those of civilized whites and hence should be excluded from future games.” But Owens ignored Hitler’s comments and was credited with single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy. When he won his gold medals, he was snubbed by Hitler at the awards ceremonies. Owens, however, was diplomatic in victory. “Hitler had a certain time to come to the stadium and a certain time to leave,” Owens said. “It happened he had to leave before the victory ceremony after the 100 meters. But before he left, I was on my way to a broadcast and passed near his box. He waved at me and I waved back.” James Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Ala., in 1913, the youngest of 10 children. His parents were sharecroppers and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1922 as part of the Great Migration, a time when nearly two million African-Americans left the segregated South for the urban and industrial North. Known as “J.C.” growing up On his first day of school in Cleveland, his teacher asked his name. Always known as “J.C.” growing up, he replied “J.C.” in a severe southern drawl. The teacher mistook “J.C.” for “Jesse” and the name followed him for the rest of his life. Throughout high school and later at Ohio State University — where he was known as the “Buckeye Bullet” — Owens received countless ribbons, trophies and plaques honors for his racing. A few of the honors Owens received during his life and posthumously include: 1936: AP Male Athlete of the Year. 1936: four English oak saplings, one for each Olympic gold medal, from the German Olympic Committee, were planted. One tree was planted at the University of Southern California, one at Rhodes High School in Cleveland, where he trained, and one on the Ohio State University. A fourth tree was planted at the home of Jesse Owens' mother but was removed when the house was demolished. 1976: awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford. 1979: awarded Living Legend Award by President Jimmy Carter. 1981: USA Track and Field created the Jesse Owens Award, given annually to the country’s top track and field athlete. 1984: street south of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin renamed Jesse-Owens-Allee. March 28, 1990: posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George H.W. Bush. 1990 and 1998: two U.S. postage stamps issued to honor Owens, one in each year. Historicatures mark A pack a day cigarette smoker for more 30 years, Owens died in 1980 in Tucson, Arizona, at age 66. He was buried in Chicago. Upon his death, President Jimmy Carter paid tribute to Owens: “Perhaps no athlete better symbolized the human struggle against tyranny, poverty and racial bigotry.”