Eric Weiner. LaRue is the smallest town ever to have an NFL team. And there was a thunderstorm that night. He blocked with authority and, on defense, was a bone-jarring tackler. Fewer still know the amazing back story of Jim Thorpe, a man who defied grinding poverty, hardship, and overwhelming odds to become a World Champion. http://www.moiraproductions.com/THORPE/about/giants.html. His team finished the season 111. Read more. The first students were Lakota Sioux, who thought they were going there to show their bravery and to die. And all of the national press was there. With Thorpe as star and coach, the Bulldogs claimed unofficial world championships in 1916, 1917, and 1919. He really developed the forward pass and the single wing and double-wing offenses. But, you know, they would say starring Jim Thorpe or with Jim Thorpe. Jimmy Lee Thorpe (born February 1, 1949) is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the Champions Tour . Warner was a great football coach. ABCs Wide World of Sports produced a 2000 biopic about him and Wheaties honored his athletic career on their box cover. For local insights and insiders travel tips that you wont find anywhere else, search any keywords in the top right-hand toolbar on this page. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Picture from early in the career of Thorpe at the new Crosley Field in Cincinnati in 1913.Photo by Malcolm MacLean Wikimedia Commons. This visit today brings Jim's name to mind immediately. An All-American in football at the Carlisle Indian School, Jim Thorpe won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics before his gold medals were revoked on a technicality. His aversion to the classroom was exacerbated by the early deaths of his twin brother and both parents, and his stints at the Haskell Institute in Kansas, the local Garden Grove school and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania were marked by long bouts of truancy. "Why Jim Thorpe Is Often Considered the Greatest Athlete of All Time" They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. And later, it even came out that in a congressional investigation that he was betting on games and physically and mentally abusing some of his Native American athletes. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. By that time, Thorpe already had become a worldwide hero at the Stockholm Olympics representing the United States though Native Americans did not have citizenship after winning both the decathlon and the pentathlon by unprecedented margins. MARANISS: Well, I did. And I tend to look at that as another symbol of Jim Thorpe, who, despite everything that went against him, he kept trying it. He had been married three times in his lifetime and from the three marriages, he had eight children. As a student in high school and college, he participated in competitive football, baseball, and lacrosse. As a student at Carlisle in the spring of 1907, Thorpe joined a track-and-field practice session on campus. It finally was overturned in 1983, 30 years after his death. I came to this town just a little over fifty years ago as general superintendent of the Canton Sheet Steel Company. He died of a heart attack in 1953. Real Estate Investor About Jim has owned and operated his real estate company for the past 30 years, working primarily out of the greater Seattle area. Thorpe was reinstated as the sole winner of the two events in 2022. White college players often played professionally but used aliases to forego the rules. Probably his best game ever, the one that really made him nationally famous was when the Carlisle Indians went to West Point and beat Army 27-6 with Jim Thorpe as the star. Many know that he was one of the greatest athletes that ever lived, many say THE greatest. Fewer know that he was Native and born on a reservation and became the first American Indian to win Olympic Gold Medals. Jim Thorpe: Jim Thorpe was born in 1887 in Prague, part of the Indian Territory, in what is today the state of Oklahoma. The Associated Press named him the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century in 1950, and the following year he was portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the film Jim Thorpe All-American. Coordinates: 405223N 754411W Jim Thorpe is a borough and the county seat of Carbon County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was not just the high jump sport that Jim Thorpe was interested in, but he was also interested in playing football as well. Whether you're catching a concert or taking a special train excursion, celebrating the seasons during the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival, Jim Thorpe's Olde Time Christmas, or Jim Thorpe Winterfest there are lots of happenings in and around this historic town throughout all four seasons. And his name in Sac and Fox was Wa-Tho-Huk. After leaving school altogether to work on a horse farm, Thorpe's no-nonsense father finally sent his son away to the Carlisle Indian School, a government-sponsored boarding school in Pennsylvania. King Gustav V of Sweden proclaimed him as "the greatest athlete in the world.". MarionMade!: LaRue team led by Jim Thorpe, the Athlete of the Century In 1954, after his death, the communities of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, merged to form the borough of Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe is one of those epic names in American lore - the greatest athlete ever, a Native American who overcame great odds to triumph in a number of sports - football, baseball, Olympic medals in track and field, lionized by Hollywood. The legendary football coach Glenn Pop Warner noticed his abilities and coached him. Justice is Restored for Jim Thorpe, The Greatest Athlete in History Jim Thorpe. But life was not always kind to him. Jim Thorpe, byname of James Francis Thorpe, (born May 28, 1888, near Prague, Indian Territory [now in Oklahoma], U.S.died March 28, 1953, Lomita, California), one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in history who in 1950 was selected by American sportswriters and broadcasters as the greatest American athlete and the greatest gridiron football player of the first half of the 20th century. "Part of the reason that people embraced Thorpe so much is that they loved guys who could come out and beat the big boys at their own game.". At the age of 16, Thorpe was sent to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I'm assigned here today to accept the award for my old teammate and friend, Jim Thorpe. In 1912, he scored 25 touchdowns and 198 points. Born to parents of European and Native American heritage, Thorpe was raised in Indian Territory what is now Oklahoma as a member of the Sac and Fox tribe. This great achievement gave Jim an opportunity at the track team as he was called to go into the office of Pop Warner, the famous coach of Carlisle. Name: Jim Thorpe, Birth Year: 1887, Birth date: May 28, 1887, Birth State: Oklahoma, Birth City: Prague, Birth Country: United States. In 1913, Thorpe married his college sweetheart, Iva Miller, and signed to play professional baseball with the New York Giants. Warner replied. Avery Brundage was not as supportive of his opponent. A multi-talented sportsman, Thorpe played baseball for the Rocky Mount club in North Carolina in 1909 and 1910, receiving small payments for each appearance he made. Cannot recommend this biography on Jim Thorpe enough (It's even written by one of America's most famous Brewers fans) I learned an incredible amount about one of North America's greatest athletes and how we still haven't given this man the respect and honor he is due . If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to the, There is a mistake in the text of this quote. Scraping by with funds earned from public speaking, he married for the third and final time in 1945, to Patricia Gladys Askew. GONYEA: As we mentioned, you've written extensive biographies of some very impressive people. Jim Thorpe - Wikipedia Jim Thorpe | Pro Football Hall of Fame I thank you very much. However, his Olympic achievements were restored to his credit 30 years after his death. It's called "Path Lit By Lightning: The Life Of Jim Thorpe." The athletes seemed to believe in him because he was putting on his work clothes when he asked for an opportunity to do the high jump. This association changed its name later and went by the name of the National Football league (NFL). Jim Thorpe in the 1912 Olympics. Still, his athletic achievements, despite all the challenges he faced throughout his life, live on. Thorpe soon became the star of the track program, and with his athletic skills he also enjoyed success in baseball, hockey, lacrosse and ballroom dancing. President Richard Nixon proclaimed 16th April, 1973 as Jim Thorpe Day to promote the recognition of this great athlete. From 1920 till 1928 he played 52 National Football League games for six teams before announcing his retirement. These men who have founded and supported these institutions over these last fifty years that I know about, we owe a great debt to those kind of folks who as I said before have made it possible for us to be here at this great stadium, in this great building and this great Football Hall of Fame today. In an announcement, the International Olympic Committee declared Thorpe the winner of the events, which coincided with the 110th anniversary of his decathlon win. Jim Thorpe - All American. Thorpe was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City as part of his heros welcome home. As in life, injustice dogged Jim Thorpe even into the grave. A group known as Bright Path Strong, created to give voice to often-suppressed Native American stories, sponsored a petition that called on the International Olympic Committee to officially name Thorpe as a champion at the 1912 Olympics. They promised to build a memorial to him, which they did. He spent two seasons (192223) with the Oorang Indians, whose owner attracted crowds by having Thorpe and his teammates dress up and perform Indian tricks before games and at halftime. A number of statues in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma were erected in his honor. Photo by Charles M. Conlon Wikimedia Commons. All Rights Reserved. But his status has never been restored as the rightful, "Jim Thorpe: The Greatest Athlete in History" was first published on Facebook and. MARANISS: It comes from his birth. However, his Olympic titles were taken away after it was revealed that he had played professional baseball before competing in the Olympics. Despite his handwritten plea to the Amateur Athletic Union, Thorpe was stripped of his amateur eligibility and forced to return his gold medals, his historic performance stricken from the Olympic record books. Hiram Thorpe, his father was of the Sac and Fox tribe while Charlotte, his mother belonged to the Potawatomi tribe. Jim Thorpe | Encyclopedia.com 28 Jun 2023 21:41:07 A child of Sac and Fox and Potawatomi Indian bloodlines, as well as French and Irish roots, he was given the name Wa-Tho-Huk, meaning "Bright Path," but christened Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe. Jim Thorpe was a native American. Growing up, Thorpe displayed a natural inclination towards . In 1920, when the National Football League was organized, the charter members named Thorpe league president. Another tragedy struck Jim when his father died leaving him orphaned. 2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Thorpe eventually retired from top-level sport at the age of 41 and promptly went into the movies, playing minor roles as a Native American in around 50 films through to the early 1950s. Thorpe went on to play for the NFLs Cleveland Indians, Rock Island Independents, New York Giants and Chicago Cardinals through 1928. The Olympic Decathlon Winner: The Best Athlete in the World? I want you to show other races what an Indian can do. Jim took his fathers words to heart. Although he feared injury to. Jims medals and the jeweled gold trophy the King of Sweden gave him at the Olympics were quickly returned. With the Bulldogs he would play a part in the creation of the National Football League (NFL) and became its first president in 1920. One of his earliest coaches was the football legend, Glenn Pop Warner who helped to mould the youngster into a formidable competitor. Having already divorced and remarried, to a former Oorang Kennels employee named Freeda Kirkpatrick, Thorpe encountered increasing difficulties after his athletic career concluded. Thank you. At his birth, Thorpe was also given a native name, Wa-Tho-Huk, which is loosely translated as "Bright Path." While playing football for Carlisle under coach Pop Warner, he was chosen as halfback on Walter Camps All-America teams in 1911 and 1912. Jim Thorpe did not like school as much as Charlie enjoyed attending school. Touring the Incredible Old Jail Museum in Jim Thorpe, PA He attended Morgan State University . He also suffered from cancer during his later years and was poverty stricken. I come here to talk about Jim Thorpe. Top 10 Unbelievable Facts About Jim Thorpe - Discover Walks A further accolade came in the 1950s when the Pennsylvanian town of Mauch Chunk renamed itself in honour of the sports star. Jim would attend the infamous Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, where he would become an orphan, first losing his mother to childbirth when he was 14, then his father at age 17. While Thorpe's exploits tend to be exaggerated with the passing years, there is no question he was superb in every way. And stunningly, to me, he was 5 foot 5 and weighed 115 pounds. The fight to recognize Jim Thorpe as official Olympic gold medal winner His Olympic gold medals were returned to his family in 1983. GONYEA: I want to get to the thing that is perhaps the basis of the myth for a lot of Americans, especially Americans of a certain age. He won two Gold Medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics held at Stockholm, one each in the events Pentathlon and Decathlon. Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1963), This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jim-Thorpe-American-athlete, Society for American Baseball Research - Jim Thorpe, Encyclopedia of the Great Plains - Biography of Jim Thorpe, Pro Football Hall of Fame - Biography of Jim thorpe, he Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Biography of James Francis Thorpe, Jim Thorpe - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Jim Thorpe - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Later, when Brundage was Olympics President (1952-1972), he zealously prevented Thorpe from being reinstated as the rightful winner of his two Gold Medals. And that's sort of the final conclusion of my book that you can consider it a tragedy in one sense. Grab a cup of coffee, savor a hearty meal or satisfy your sweet tooth! And at the critical point of Jim Thorpe's life, he lied about what he knew to save his own reputation. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. Why Jim Thorpe Is Often Considered the Greatest Athlete of All Time Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jim Thorpe - BR Bullpen - Baseball-Reference.com Obviously, it can be a tough transition even if you've got all the support and planning imaginable. He even won after being sabotaged when a competitor stole his athletic shoes. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In addition to playing major-league baseball for six seasons, the 6-foor-1, 185-pound Thorpe was an Olympic champion in the pentathlon and decathlon and at one point the greatest American football player in history, according to a 1977 Sport magazine poll. Difficult Upbringing James Francis Thorpe was born on May 22 (or May 28 according to some records) 1887 near Prague, Oklahoma. You know, it was the one time when Native Americans were on a level playing field with the Army and they thumped them. (See photo above.). Jim Thorpe: Olympic Champion is Guemsey Van Riper Jr.'s biography of a world-class athlete. The myth and reality of Jim Thorpe | The Christian Century The Ohio Historical Marker outside LaRue calls the Oorang Indians "the NFL's most colorful franchise.". At the Carlisle Indian School, despite having none of the resources, finances or other advantages that many elite, Ivy League athletes had, he went on to train successfully and made the Olympic team of 1912. All rights reserved. That's grown consistently ever since. Last but not least, Jim Thorpe, was voted the greatest American football player of the first half of the 20th century. Anything. He won the Gold Medals in the Pentathlon and Decathlon. The acclaim did not translate into much success in his post-athletic career. But he - you could barely find him on the screen. In listening to all of these remarks and all of the praises that are being given to these football players in which and with which I concur, I would like to take this audience and the people of Canton Ohio back to the earlier days before we had the funds to build such a beautiful edifice as the Canton or the Professional Football Hall of Fame. He was working on the farm at Carlisle and walked by the track and saw the high jumpers trying to clear 6 feet, none of them successfully doing it. But the general - the point of them was to rid them of their pure culture. Jim, I thought, was one of the greatest football players both college and professional football in his day. Most recently, Angelina Jolie, who is part Native, along with other backers, is producing a new film in his honor, called Bright Path. Native actor Martin Sensmeier will play Jim Thorpe. From 1955 the Jim Thorpe Trophy was awarded annually to the most valuable player in the NFL. In presenting Jim Thorpe with his two gold medals in Stockholm in July 1912, King Gustav V of Sweden, the patron of the Games of the V Olympiad, said to him: You sir, are the greatest athlete in the world. The US track and field star of Native American ancestry had thrilled the Stockholm crowds with his exploits. Unfortunately, Charlie, Jim Thorps twin brother fall ill and passed on when they turned nine years old. I would like to name some of the old-timers who made it possible for all of us to be here today. The strong and healthy athlete participated in competitive sports until the age of 41. Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia It was the urge for the father to see Jim continue with an education that led him to transfer Jim to another school far away in Lawrence, Kansas.In the new school, Jim stood out among other pupils at the schools track team. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Carlisle was a boarding school for Native Americans. Jim Thorpes professional sports career was as illustrious as his Olympic career. Jim Thorpe went by the native name of Wa-Tho-Huk, which had the meaning of "Bright Path". His team finished the season 11-1. Nor sooner than later, Jim was the star of the football team. 7. Athlete Jim Thorpe as a member of the Portland Beavers baseball team in 1922. A great one to remember was that he was an Olympic Gold medalist in the decathlon during the 1912 summer Olympics in Stockholm. He struggled to make ends meet during his final years and became a victim to alcoholism which ruined his health and well being. I mean, I thought it was more a typical boarding school for Native Americans of high school and some college age students. He went ahead and attended the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania when he turned sixteen years of age. In looking over the group and thinking back of the days when I was connected with a great many of the institutions of the city, I see faces. His figure stands out as a beacon light to all young men aspiring to be great athletes and good citizens of these United States. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. GONYEA: We've watched many a great athlete struggle with life when their days on the field or on the court are done. Deborah Hufford is an award-winning author and magazine editor with a passion for history. But his status has never been restored as the rightful sole winner of the two most revered gold medals of the Olympicsan injustice that remains to this day. He was born into the tribe of the Sac and Fox. You don't ever bet against that. He was noticed during the trials due to his all-round ability. When a report appeared in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette stating as much, it was deemed that Thorpe had infringed the rules regarding amateurism, and at the start of 1913 he was stripped of his Olympic titles. Also in 1912 Thorpe won the decathlon and the pentathlon by wide margins at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, but in 1913 an investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union showed that he had played semiprofessional baseball in 1909 and 1910, which should have disqualified him from Olympic competition. He went on the public speaking circuit for a while and he also appeared in several Hollywood films, usually as an Indian chief in Westerns. Prague, Lincoln County, Oklahoma, USA. This is indeed a great day for me. Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe (Sac and Fox (Sauk): Wa-Tho-Huk, translated to Bright Path) (May 28, 1888 - March 28, 1953) was an American athlete of mixed ancestry (mixed Caucasian and American Indian). Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Only 30 years after the last Indian had been exiled to reservations in America, in 1912, Jim Thorpe mesmerized the world at the Stockholm Olympics and won the two most difficult Olympic events that would define him as the worlds greatest all-around athlete: The Decathlon (10 sports) and the Pentathlon (5 sports). Right after the 1912 Olympics, he signed with the New York Giants baseball team & also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds & Boston Braves. Earl told me that if I took more than a minute and a half, he would ring the bell. Here are the top unbelievable facts about Jim Thorpe. He happened to ask the varsity athletes if he could try to do the high jump when he met them practicing once. Deborah's soon-to-be released historical novel, BLOOD TO RUBIES weaves indigenous and pioneer history, strong women and clashing worlds into a sweeping saga praised by NYT bestselling authors as "crushing," "rhapsodic," "gritty," and "sensuous." Named to the U.S. team for the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe burst out of the gate by winning four of five events to claim the gold medal in the pentathlon. However, it was football that propelled Thorpe to national renown. Carlisle won, 27-6. Finishing the three-day event with a total of 8,412.95 points (of a possible 10,000), a mark that bested the runner-up by nearly 700 points, Thorpe was proclaimed by Swedens King Gustaf V to be the greatest athlete in the world. Associated Press named him the USAs greatest athlete and American football player of the first half of the 20th century, while an ABC Sports poll in 2000 ranked him as the best American athlete of the century. He kept working no matter what. In 1920, Thorpe became the first NFL President (then the APFA) and was on the first All-NFL Team in 1923. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jim Thorpe is one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century and is described as "The Legend" who helped put the NFL on the map. But he had an incredible growth spurt, and in 1907 really is when he started to show his athletic talents. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Thorpe of his Gold Medals, blatantly breaking their own bylaws of taking action against him many months beyond their legal deadline. Connect with Deborah on DeborahHufford.com, Facebook, and Instagram. So many Indians who went through those schools figured out ways to survive and actually prevail and became Indian activists in terms of becoming lawyers and doctors and so on. He had to quickly find shoes and wore mismatched borrowed shoes, one of which he found in a trash can! Today, the massive building that was the Carlisle Indian Schoolwhose official slogan was Kill the Indian, Save the Manis occupied by the U.S. Army War College, which honors Jim Thorpe in their Jim Thorpe Sports Day. The complex also houses a Carlisle Historical Society Center. cemeteries found in Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He signed with the Canton Bulldogs for $250 per game in 1915, justifying the price tag by drawing massive audiences and leading the team to league championships in 1916, '17 and '19. Top 5 Famous Personalities from Jim Thorpe, PA - HolidayKeepers His second wife was Freeda Kirkpatrick who worked as a manager of the baseball team he played for. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Jackie Robinson, 8 Negro League Legends Featured in a New MLB Game, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Shohei Ohtani, Lou Gehrig Fought the Disease Named After Him. Thank you, Henry Roemer, ladies and gentlemen. He was more successful as one of the early stars of American professional football from 1919 through 1926. In 1913, he also played pro-football first for the Indiana Pros, then the Canton Bulldogs. Jim Thorpe, PA | Visitor Information & Travel Resources - Visit the Poconos Sponsored by Walter Lingo, owner of the Oorang Dog Kennels in LaRue, Ohio, the team's games featured players performing "war dances" and other rituals to entertain audiences. Thorpe, a Native American who wasn't even considered an American citizen when he stunned the world at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, should be listed among the greatest athletes ever (if not the greatest) for everything he went through simply to compete. That changed in 2022 when the IOC reinstated Thorpe as the sole winner of the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon. While there, he aspired to study electricity and also play on the track team at the same time. MARANISS: Well, Burt Lancaster was a great athlete, but he was 37 years old. Jim Thorpe Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements Jim Thorpe thrived in the professional sports team he played under and among his best highlights is that he became the American Professional Football Associations first president. More than 8,000 people turned up to watch his debut match against the Massillon Tigers. Thorpe's Native American name was Wa-Tho-Huk, roughly translated as "Bright Path." And the theme of it was, you know, as his athletic skills diminished and he struggles for the last 20 or 30 years of his life, Pop Warner reemerges and basically says, Jim, you know, if you'd only listened to me and successfully assimilated into white society, you wouldn't have had any of these problems. Thorpe's parents consisted of an Irish father and a mother who was a member of the Sac and Fox Indian tribe. But nevertheless, they were great, great sports and greatly interested in this great game of football. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. We may all come from different walks of life but we have one common passion - learning through travel. People may know that name for the youth football leagues named after him to this day across America. Breaking new ground in Stockholm "He glamorized the Olympics and glamorized sports by being this phenomenon that came from out of nowhere and astonished the world," says Kate Buford, the author of "Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe," a 2010 biography. The Life And Career Of Jim Thorpe (Complete Story) - Pro Football History Probably his best game ever, the one that really made him nationally famous was when the Carlisle Indians went to West Point and beat Army 27-6 with Jim Thorpe as the star.
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what was jim thorpe famous for