Jim Thorpe: Athlete of The Century
I had at one time watched the Jim Thorpe: All American movie (1951) who was portrayed by the American actor Burt Lancaster. Years ago while visiting friends in the Pocono Mountains, I was taken to Jim Thorpe so that I could experience the Lehigh Gorge scenery on the railway and walk around the town. The biographical knowledge that I have acquired leans toward the adult and child male and female actors of the 1940’s, prominent Big Band musicians and singers, Presidents and dictators and African-American World War II heroes - to name a few.
Burt Lancaster as Jim Thorpe Jim Thorpe Athlete of the Century
There it was American Indian Biographies A-Z, it was like being in a candy store trying to decide what candy I wanted to know about. Jim Thorpe? He’s Native American? I thought he was Burt Lancaster and a small town in Pennsylvania and for a split second when I saw his name, reality set in – Jim Thorpe is not a fictional character? Who was he?
Jim Thorpe, of the Sac and Fox Tribe, was given the legendary label of All-American athlete who won gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1921 Stockholm, Sweden Olympics, played professional football and baseball, was lionized for his exceptional football skills and was placed two years running (1911-1912) on the All-American football teams. Thorpe was the first Native American President of the American Professional Football Association which is presently known as the National Football League (NFL).
Thorpe was stripped of his gold medals in 1913 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) discovered that he had played semi-professional baseball while a student at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. Gracie Thorpe, his daughter, and most ardent fan and advocate fought the IOC and recovered the gold medals her father had deservedly won. (American Indian Biographies). Gracie traveled the country and continued the fight for her father asking people to sign a petition to declare her father athlete of the century. On of May 27, 1999, the following resolution was passed:
“Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives designates James Francis Thorpe ‘America’s Athlete of the Century.’” (Congressional Record).
Gracie and Anna McKibben, crowned National Miss Indian USA, are campaigning to have Jim Thorpe’s picture represented on a box of Wheaties - the breakfast of champions. (Greten).
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References:
American Indian Biographies A-Z. People Weekly Magazine. (January 8, 1996). Vol. 45. No. 1 and Tulsa World Newspaper. (December 10, 1995). “Jim Thorpe: Athlete of the Century Campaign.” Accessed on September 25, 2018: http://necona.indigenousnative.org/jimthorp.html.
American Indian Biographies A-Z. Congressional Record-Senate S4607. (May 27, 1999). Bill Introduced to Name Jim Thorpe Athlete of the Century. Accessed September 25, 2018: http://necona.indigenousnative.org/athlete_of_the_century.html.
American Indian Biographies A-Z. Greten, Jay. (May 15, 2000). Daily Oklahoma. “Wheaties, The Breakfast of Champions: Campaign Wants Thorpe on Wheaties.” Accessed September 25, 2018: http://necona.indigenousnative.org/jimthorp.html.
ReplyDeleteJim Thorpe was related to the great warrior Black Hawk who orignally came from Lake Michigan, but were forced to the Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1869 (Daniels). At age 6 he was sent to to the reservation school run by the federal government where ideas of white supremacy were taught and were also forbidden to speak their native language (Daniels). His twin brother died in 1896 when they were 8 years old, his mother died soon after. Soon after that the same illness that took his mother also took his father.
Jim Thorpe lived such an incredible life overcoming outstanding stereotypes, boundaries and hardships.
It was mentioned that he won the pentathlon and decathlon for the American team in 1912. He remains the only person ever to accomplish this feat.
He attempted to pass the Wheeler Bill, which would abolish the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which allowed the government to control all aspects of life on reservations but the bills failed to pass legislature (Daniels).
Despite the way the U.S. government treated Thorpe, his family and Indian relatives throughout history, Thorpe joined the merchant marines and worked on a ship that carried ammunition to allied forces (Daniels).
In 1950 he was named the best male athlete of the half century, beating Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Jesse Owens and was also inducted into the inaugural class of the pro football hall of fame.
In 1983 duplicate medals were given to his children to replace the ones taken away from him for playing pro baseball prior to competing in the 1912 Olympics and all of his records have been re entered in the Olympic record books (Daniels).
Daniels, Patricia. “Who Was Jim Thorpe Considered One of the Best Athletes of All Time?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, June 2017, www.thoughtco.com/jim-thorpe-1779819.
During the years of 1922-1923 Jim Thorpe coached the all - Native American team called Oorang Indians. He was also a player at this team. The interesting fact is that all the games that the team competed were filled with the performances featured by the players. The players entertained the audience with their ritual dances.
ReplyDeleteJim Thorpe Biography Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/jim-thorpe-9507017
Jim Thorpe was the greatest athlete of all time. The movie does not portray the true man, but it's entertaining. I had watched the movie several times, but after my research I find that he was a Native American man who was accomplished. His daughter wants to ensure he gets the kudos that he deserves and I hope that one day we get to see Great Jim Thorpe's picture on a box of Wheaties for he truly was a champion.
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