Jesse Owens Family

James Cleveland (J.C.) Owens was born Sept. 12, 1913, in Oakville, Ala., one of 10 children raised by Henry and Mary Emma Owens. In the early 1920s, the family moved to the east side of Cleveland, Ohio.

It was at Fairmount Junior High in Cleveland where Jesse started participating in athletics and where he met Charles Riley, the track coach who would have such a great influence on Owens' early running career. In 1930, Owens started attending East Technical School, and Riley was hired to help train him. Owens eventually became the best-known track star in Cleveland, dominating every race he entered.

The next fall, Owens matriculated to The Ohio State University. There, he was coached by Larry Snyder, who eventually became the U.S. coach for the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. In May 1935, at the Big Ten Finals in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Owens set world records in three events.

However, it was at the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin where Owens made history. He became the first track athlete to win four gold medals. With his victories in track and field, Owens also proved Nazi leader Adolph Hitler's racist theories wrong, and in doing so, became an American hero.

After returning from the Olympics, Owens used his newfound fame to explore a myriad of opportunities, from running a dry-cleaning company to serving as a spokesman for the Ford Motor Co. Along the way, he and his wife, Ruth, had three daughters, Gloria, Marlene, and Beverly. Owens eventually settled into a life of nearly constant travel, attending events as a motivational speaker or making appearances for nonprofit causes, such as the Boys' Clubs of America.

Owens also was awarded many honors, including an honorary doctorate from The Ohio State University. In 1976, President Gerald Ford awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor for a civilian. By that time, Owens was no longer as active, although he still kept an impressive travel schedule. In late 1979, Owens was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on March 31, 1980, at the age of 66.

For more detailed information on Owens' life, see The Ohio State University Archives' website.

From the guide to the Jesse Owens Collection, 1933-2010, 1933-1980, (The Ohio State University Archives.)