Thursday, Feb. 27, 1997
Black History Month Biography: Jesse Owens
Editor's note: In honor of Black History Month, The Daily Collegian will publish a series of biographies of several great black Americans. Thanks to Black Caucus for providing the text.
Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. He was born James Cleveland Owens in Danville, Ala., and educated at Ohio State University.
He competed in interscholastic track meets while attending high
school, excelling in the running broad jump, the 100-yard dash
and the 220-yard dash. As a member of the Ohio State University
track squad in 1935, he established a world record of 26 feet
8 1/4 inches for the running broad jump. The next year he set
a world record of 10.2 seconds for the 100-meter dash.
As a member of the U.S. Track Team in the 1936 Olympic Games held
in Berlin, Owens won four gold medals. He won the 100-meter dash
in 10.3 seconds, equaling the Olympic record; he set an Olympic
and world record of 20.7 seconds in the 200-meter dash; and he
won the running broad jump with a leap of 26 feet 5 3/8 inches,
setting an Olympic record.
He was also a member of the U.S. 400-meter Relay Team that year,
which set an Olympic and world record of 39.8 seconds. Despite
his outstanding athletic performance, however, Adolph Hitler refused
to acknowledge Owens' Olympic victories because he was black.
Owens went on to play an active role in youth athletic programs
and later established his own public relations firm. His autobiography,
The Jesse Owens Story, was published in 1970.
