Jessie Owens 1965 George Solk Photographer Life
(Photo Description: Mr. Owens, seated in a wheelchair smiles toward the camera. He appears to be in an airport with a skycap behind his chair and his suit hanging bag on his lap. He is dressed in a fedora and dark suit.)
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. He was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olympics, a victory more poignant and often noted because Adolf Hitler had intended the 1936 games to showcase his Aryan ideals and prowess. He has the Jesse Owens Award accolade named after him in honor of his significant career. After smoking for 35 years, Owens contracted lung cancer. He died from the disease at age 66 in Tucson, Arizona in 1980. He is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. A few months before his death, Owens had tried unsuccessfully to convince President Jimmy Carter not to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He argued that the Olympic ideal was to be a time-out from war and above politics.
Jessie Owens 1965 George Solk Photographer Life
(Photo Description: Mr. Owens, seated in a wheelchair smiles toward the camera. He appears to be in an airport with a skycap behind his chair and his suit hanging bag on his lap. He is dressed in a fedora and dark suit.)
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. He was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olympics, a victory more poignant and often noted because Adolf Hitler had intended the 1936 games to showcase his Aryan ideals and prowess. He has the Jesse Owens Award accolade named after him in honor of his significant career. After smoking for 35 years, Owens contracted lung cancer. He died from the disease at age 66 in Tucson, Arizona in 1980. He is buried in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. A few months before his death, Owens had tried unsuccessfully to convince President Jimmy Carter not to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He argued that the Olympic ideal was to be a time-out from war and above politics.