Jesse Owens

By Louis Paone
Love of Sports Correspondent

On September 12, one of the most famed Olympians would have celebrated his 95th birthday.

At a time when there were no endorsement contracts for African-Americans, no sponsors and no television coverage, Jesse Owens set a new record at the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, Germany — he won four gold metals in one Olympiad.

Berlin, Germany was a long road from Owens’ hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

Growing up in poverty, Owens’ speed was discovered during gym class by a junior high track coach. After a successful high school track career, he was recruited by a number of colleges - eventually choosing Ohio State.

It was during his collegiate career, on May 25, 1935, that Owens made his mark on history. During a Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Owens set three world records while tying a fourth — all in a span of 45 minutes.

Those accomplishments prepared Owens for a bigger stage. Not only taking on the finest athletes in the world, Owens would also face the lore of one of the most feared leaders in the world. At the start of the 1936 Olympics, German leader Adolf Hitler was longing to prove how white athletes were far superior to their African-American counterparts. 

Despite the pressure, Owens walked away from the Berlin games with four gold medals, proving that skin-color had no bearing on desire or skill. Although history proved Hitler to be one of the most callous and heartless leaders in modern world history, Owens was disappointed with the actions of another leader closer to home upon his return to the United States.

It is well known that Owens was never acknowledged in person by President Roosevelt, or invited to the White House upon his return to the United States after his successful showing. It wasn’t until some 30 years later that Owens was finally able to cash in on his name and success through public speaking appearances.

In 1976, the White House finally recognized Owens when President Ford granted him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After his death in 1980 Jesse earned many tributes, including the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Bush in 1990, and the completion of the Jessie Owens Memorial Track Stadium on the Ohio State campus in 2001.

Before the Wheaties boxes and McDonalds commercials, there was pure success under insurmountable odds for no monetary gain. Jesse Owens set the stage for Olympic endorsements. 

All of today’s Olympic athletes — black or white — have him to thank for that. That’s why we’re giving the unparalleled trailblazer some OLD SCHOOL LOVE.