Jesse Owens: The Life and Tragic Fate of the Olympic Champion

James Cleveland Owens (known more widely as Jesse Owens) was an American track and field athlete. He rose to international fame at the 1936 Olympic Games, where he became a four-time Olympic champion. Owens won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4×100 meter relay. In the relay event, he set a world record.

Jesse Owens’ remarkable feat was not matched until Carl Lewis achieved the same at the 1984 Olympic Games. Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Owens is credited with opening the world of elite sports to Black athletes. He was ranked sixth on the list of the greatest athletes of the 20th century — a distinction announced during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

Interesting facts from the biography of track and field star Jesse Owens

• During his time at Ohio State University, Jesse Owens was considered the pride of the institution. However, due to segregation policies, he was not allowed to live on campus and had to reside off-site. While traveling, he stayed in hotels designated for Black guests and could only shop for groceries at specialized stores.
• Many respected sports historians consider Jesse Owens’ achievements among the most remarkable in 20th-century sports history.
• According to American sprinter James LuValle, Owens was the first Black track and field athlete to appear publicly wearing sneakers made by a European brand — Adidas.

Childhood and youth

James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama. He was the tenth child in a large family. According to unconfirmed reports, his parents were the children of enslaved people who had worked on plantations. If this is true, the future track and field star belonged to the second generation of free African Americans.

His father was named Henry Cleveland Owens, and his mother was Mary Emma Fitzgerald. Before segregation laws were fully enforced in the United States, the family worked in agriculture. However, when racial discrimination in the southeastern states became unbearable, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and settled near Lake Erie.

It was in Cleveland that a mix-up with Jesse’s name occurred. When he started school, his Southern accent confused local staff. His initials, “J.C.,” were misunderstood as “Jesse,” and he was officially registered under that name. From then on, he became known as Jesse Owens. During his school years, he showed great talent in English, math, and literature.

Jesse had very little free time—he spent most of it helping his parents. From a young age, he took on various jobs, working as a shoemaker’s assistant and later as a freight loader, to support his family financially. He stood 180 centimeters tall, weighed 75 kilograms, and had a natural love for running.

His passion for running didn’t go unnoticed by his father, who worked at a steel mill. When Jesse was offered a spot in a track and field program led by coach Charles Riley, the family gathered to discuss the opportunity. They agreed this was not a chance to miss. His parents wanted to give him the freedom to pursue what he truly loved.

As it turned out, that decision had a profound impact on the rest of Jesse Owens’ life. Completing the introductory physical training program at East Technical High School under the guidance of a respected and experienced coach enabled him to match the world record in both the 100-yard dash and the long jump at the 1933 interscholastic championships held in Chicago.

Jesse’s family wanted him to have the chance to continue pursuing athletics. His father spent a long time searching for stable work that could support their large household. Once he secured a job, Jesse was able to continue his education and enrolled at Ohio State University, where he kept training in track and field.

As a student-athlete, Jesse competed under coach Larry Snyder. In individual events at NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) championships during the mid-1930s, he won eight gold medals. However, his victories brought him no privileges or financial rewards. He didn’t receive a scholarship, and his father’s income was just enough to support the family. Alongside his studies and training, Jesse also had to work and often contributed financially to help his relatives.

The difficult road to the 1936 Olympic Games

Jesse Owens’ life story is deeply intertwined with racial prejudice. He was one of the few African American sprinters of his time and often faced discrimination — being denied service in cafés or refused accommodation in hotels. Despite these challenges, he remained optimistic and believed that racism lived only in the minds of those who chose to believe in it. He channeled all his negative experiences into training.

The future Olympic champion traveled extensively across the country and earned his place in the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. This defining moment came on May 25, 1935, at the Big Ten meet held at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There, Owens set three world records and tied a fourth — a feat that stunned the sporting world. His most remarkable records came in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and long jump, making him the top contender for the upcoming 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

To meet the high expectations placed on him, Owens traveled to California to train and compete. For the first time in his life, he was surrounded by luxury — movie stars, fans, and all kinds of distractions. While the attention was flattering, it threatened to derail his Olympic preparation. This lifestyle nearly cost him his athletic career, as the media began shifting focus toward his rising competitors.

Jesse Owens soon came to a clear realization that this carefree lifestyle was having a negative impact on his athletic performance. He made the decision to return to Ohio, where he already had a family of his own. Owens embraced the role of a devoted family man and began a focused and disciplined training regimen for the upcoming Olympic Games in Berlin. Gradually, his performance returned to its former level, and he once again felt like a serious contender for Olympic gold.

While Owens was regaining his form in preparation for Berlin, calls to boycott the 1936 Olympic Games grew louder in the United States. Activists and public figures urged the American team to withdraw from the event, citing Nazi Germany’s policies of racial discrimination and rising antisemitism. Owens, in particular, was pressured publicly to refuse participation.

To make a final decision, the U.S. government sent a delegate to Germany to assess the situation firsthand. The representative reported no immediate threats to the safety of international athletes. Upon returning to the U.S., Avery Brundage, president of the American Olympic Committee, accused the boycott advocates of engaging in anti-American propaganda and exerting undue pressure on athletes.

Brundage insisted that Germany was preparing for the Games with great professionalism and would not allow any issues related to racial or ethnic conflict to interfere. His statements were not without truth — during the Olympic Games, Nazi Germany was determined to present a peaceful and orderly image to the world.

Triumph at the Olympic Games in Berlin

Jesse Owens and the other athletes ultimately decided to take part in the 1936 Olympic Games and traveled to Germany aboard the SS Manhattan. Owens not only delivered outstanding performances but also completely disrupted the German government’s plans.

According to Nazi leadership, the overarching goal of the 1936 Games was to showcase the supposed superiority of the white, Aryan race. Jesse Owens shattered that narrative. To the credit of the Olympic organizers, medals were awarded strictly based on merit, and no racial discrimination was evident during the events. Adolf Hitler personally presented medals to the winners of the 100-meter sprint. Owens didn’t just win — he equaled the world record and defeated the German athletes on their own soil.

The highlight of the Olympic Games was the long jump competition, where Jesse Owens faced off against German athlete Luz Long in the battle for gold. Owens not only won but also set a new Olympic record. Remarkably, his German rival was not disappointed—in fact, Long walked arm in arm with Owens around the stadium for a victory lap. This shared celebration of gold and silver medals captivated the audience and sparked a wave of admiration.

The very next day, when Owens appeared for the 200-meter race, tens of thousands in the crowd chanted his name.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens went on to win four gold medals, taking first place in every event he entered. His fourth medal was unplanned. Organizers from the U.S. Olympic Committee had demanded the removal of two Jewish sprinters, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, from the relay team. Owens reluctantly filled one of the now-vacant spots. Although he was not pleased with the decision, officials from the American delegation did not object.

The four-time Olympic champion had created a global sensation. Jesse Owens was celebrated in headlines and praised around the world — but sadly, upon returning home, he was met with deep disappointment.

An Olympic champion no one needed

Upon returning to America, Jesse Owens quickly realized that his new status and Olympic honors meant little at home. He found himself pushed to the margins of society. Despite his international fame, the Olympic champion faced racial discrimination. He was banned from attending many sporting events — even amateur ones — and the lucrative endorsement deals he had been promised never materialized.

At just 23 years old, Owens was forced to leave Ohio State University without ever receiving a scholarship. To support his family, he took any job he could find — working at a dry cleaner and even racing against hunting dogs, kangaroos, and horses just to earn a living. Society had no place for a Black Olympic hero.

Despite turning away from professional sports, Owens committed himself to public service. He worked closely with young people and engaged in community initiatives. Though the Republican Party included politicians opposed to racial equality, Owens joined its ranks to support Alf Landon’s campaign against President Roosevelt.

It wasn’t until after World War II that the Olympic champion was remembered again. In 1951, he and his former Olympic rival Ralph Metcalfe began participating in charity events to support youth sports clubs. Owens felt the joy of victory once more, winning both sprint and long jump competitions. In the early 1950s, he was named an official U.S. ambassador to the Melbourne Olympic Games. In 1955, he visited India, Pakistan, and Singapore at the invitation of local organizations. The following year, Owens was accused of having ties to communists, but an FBI investigation later cleared him of any wrongdoing.

In 1972, Jesse Owens was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Ohio State University. Two years later, he was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. In 1976, President Gerald Ford presented Owens with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in 1979, he was officially recognized as a Living Legend of the United States.

Jesse Owens’ personal life

The legendary track and field athlete met his future wife, Minnie Ruth Solomon, when they were both teenagers — he was 15, and she was 13. Their first daughter was born in 1932, and they married in 1935. Later, they welcomed two more daughters, Marlene and Beverly. Their marriage lasted until his death.

Jesse Owens passed away in 1980 from lung cancer. He spent his final days surrounded by family at a hospital in Tucson, Arizona. According to his wishes, the family buried him at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. Owens had requested that no elaborate ceremony be held. His family honored that wish with a quiet and private service.

Jesse Owens’ records

• 100-yard dash: 9.4 seconds

• 220-yard dash: 20.3 seconds

• 220-yard hurdles: 22.6 seconds

• Long jump: 8.13 meters (the first time in history the 8-meter mark was surpassed)